Harry Potter and the Helmet of Invisibility
by BadgerJessica
Summary: Starting after GoF.  Harry Potter's fifth year is about to start with the threat of Voldemort, but Harry's about to find that he's not alone in the fight against the Death Eaters.  Seven is a magical number in the wizard world.
1. Privet Drive

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Thanks!

A/N: Thanks to eternity to my beta-reader Steph! This would not be possible without you!

Harry lay on his bed staring at the ceiling trying to remember all the laws and sub laws of Quidditch he had memorized from _Quidditch: Through the Ages_. He was nearly through the types of penalty shots when Aunt Petunia yelled at him to get up and start breakfast. He rolled off of his bed, sighing. Hedwig hooted unhappily from her cage on top of his desk.

"Sorry girl, you can go outside later."

Harry wandered down to the kitchen. His khaki slacks kept slipping down; he needed to get a belt if he lost any more weight. All of his clothes were evenmore ill-fitting than usual; he hadn't been eating or sleeping properly since the night in the maze.

"And then it's to the gym with you! That nurse at school said you have to lose another 18 kilos before the start of the term if you want to pass the physical inspection. And there will be no more boxing if you don't!" Aunt Petunia rattled at Dudley as she busied about the kitchen. Dudley had found he could get credit for beating people up by joining the boxing club at school. He'd tried to use Harry as practice the first couple of weeks of the holiday, but Harry was faster than Dudley so none of his uncontrolled punches were able to connect so far. Petunia rounded on Harry when he entered, "And you, you are going with him. The man at the gym said it helps for people to have training partners so you'll be going with Dudley every day. I don't want either of you lazing about this summer."

Harry nodded, but he clenched his fists at her insinuation. Laze about? He'd never spent a summer 'lazing about' at Number 4, Privet Drive. There had always been chores and endless lists of things his aunt and uncle wanted him to do. He took over for his aunt in the kitchen making the modified breakfast for Dudley and the rest of the family. He placed the finished product onto the plates on the table and took his seat. His uncle entered the kitchen, sat andstared down at his plate.

"What is this?" Vernon Dursleygrumbled, his upper lip disappearing under his mustache.

"I told you, Vernon. Dudley has to eat healthy again this summer and we're all going to help him out and be supportive. It won't kill any of us to be a bit more conscious about what we eat, now will it?" Aunt Petunia screwed up her face at the unappetizing plate much the same way that they all were, but she made a pursed smile and started to eat. Harry personally thought this might kill him. He was already on the low side of weight for his age and he wasn't sure he could manage on egg whites with spinach, one piece of dry wheat toast, strawberries and a banana. Dudley looked ready to pass out from just looking at the food, or maybe he was thinking about the exercise regimen he was going to be starting.

The Dursley's and Harry ate in silence and when the breakfast was over Uncle Vernon kissed Aunt Petunia, ruffled Dudley's hair and left for work. Harry was tasked with cleaning the dishes while Dudley tried to convince his mother that he did not need to go to the gym AND diet at the same time. One or the other would suffice, according to Dudley. Aunt Petunia was unmoved by her sons pleas; she'd been utterly mortified by the scolding she'd received from the nurse at Dudley's school.

And so Harry found himself putting on a pair of black gym shorts and a grey t-shirt along with his trainers to go to the gym with Dudley an hour later. As Aunt Petunia was pulling away from the curb at the gym Dudley looked at Harry wildly,

"I'll give you my allowance for the rest of the summer if you help me get out of here."

Harry gaped at Dudley in shock. Dudley wasn't much for begging. Yes, he'd threatened Harry and used physical force, but bribing seemed to be a bit beneath him.

"I can't. Your mum would find out you weren't going, and then we'd both get it. You might as well just get it over with, Dudley. At least we're in it together."

Harry never thought he'd see the day that he'd have to give a pep talk to Dudley. They both turned around and walked up to the doors of PT Fitness. The walls were a butter yellow color and the air conditioning was blowing full blast. Someone had tacked up motivational posters on the wall. The one closest to Harry was an obscenely muscled man bench pressing 45 kilos with "STRENGTH" written in bold block letters they walked through the atrium, they passed under a large marble statue with greek battle gear and winged shoes. The plaque underneath read, "Hermes: God of Gyms and the Olympics". Harry thought the smiling Hermes looked sort of like GilderoyLockheart. He shuddered to remember the annoying Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The blonde woman behind the desk smiled brightly at them. She was slightly orange and her pony tail bobbed as she spoke.

"Hey there! How can I help you, gentlemen?"

Dudley grunted and looked around nervously. Harry rolled his eyes at him and smiled grimly at the girl.

"Err… We're here to meet with a Mr. Fire?"

"Oh sure, his office is right this way. Follow me!" The woman said, still beaming and motioned for them to follow her behind the desk and down a hallway. She knocked sharply on a door and opened it for the two boys, "Enjoy!"

Her ponytail continued to bob with her as she walked and Dudley trudged in and stood facing the most muscular man Harry had ever seen. The man's t-shirt that looked ready to rip right off of his body if he so much as flexed his (clearly visible) peck muscles. Harry gulped and looked at Dudley, who stared back at him with a similar look of panic on his face.

"Hello boys, take a seat!" Mr. Fire said, motioning for them to take the two hard plastic chairs across from his desk, "Now I'm Mr. Fire, also known as Sergeantbecause I was a United States Air Force basic training drill sergeant. That was a long time ago now though, before I moved to England and ended up going Ex-Pat for my lovely wife."

Harry gulped. Drill Sergeant? Dudley seemed to start physically shaking.

"Now I'm going to do some basic measurements of your abilities, before we set up a summer training schedule. By September, you'll both be so used to your routines that you'll want to continue them on your own. And if you don't well there's always the winter holiday and next summer to beat it into you," Sergeant Fire smiled at them, but it was a hollow smile and Harry gulped again.

"Now we'll head out and get started. These sessions are an hour and a half each day and we'll want to make the most of each of them."

Sergeant Fire led Harry and Dudley through the tour of the facility; they stopped to take measurements of their body fat as well as height and weight. He never commented on any of these measurements though Harry was much too thin and Dudley had enough to share with two others.

Finally, Sergeant Fire led them to a square room that had a matted floor with wall mirrors. The mirrors showed their bodiesfrom every unflattering angle. Dudley frowned at his reflection and sucked in his stomach.

"Now, to start I want to see where you both are from a fitness stand point. So I want you to start off and try to do five reps of what I call the bend and reach. Just bend over and reach between your legs, like this." Sergeant Fire showed the boys what he wanted them to do. Dudley and Harry looked at each other and shrugged.

_Seems easy enough_, Harry thought and started to do the bend and reach. Both of the boys started the reps and finished without needing much coaching from Sergeant Fire. Next, they had to do rear lunges. Dudley had a bit harder time doing the lunges and at several points almost toppled over from overbalancing his large frame. Sergeant Fire took notes during all of the exercises. He corrected their form when it needed and praised them when they got it right. By the end of the 15 exercises, Harry welcomed the burn the ever so slight burn in his , on the other hand, was sweating up a storm.

"Good boys, good. Okay, so next, we're going to go up to the track and I want you to each either run, walk, or any combination of the two, for one mile. I want you to do whatever's comfortable, but also put an effort in."

Harry ran his whole mile, but was definitely winded by the end. Quidditch training only did so much for his physical fitness, but training for the Triwizard Tournament helped. He also hadn't been sleeping or eating for the last couple of weeks, and that had most definitely hurt him. Dudley could barely jog a quarter of a mile before he walked and he never worked himself back into a jog for the rest of the test.

Sergeant Fire nodded when Dudley finally came in, made more notes on his clipboard and copied down each boy's time. Finally he looked up and smiled at them,

"Alright boys! That's it for today. I want you to go through the stretches I showed you before the run and then you can hit the showers for the day. Tomorrow, I'll have your fitness plans all written up for you both. Since you're training together, I'll try to make sure you're both getting a good amount out of the sessions."

Both boys felt tired as they scrambled back into the car with Aunt Petunia to go home for the day. Dudley groaned and grumbled about how he'd twisted his ankle during the run to rationalize why he'd walked the rest of the mile.

"Well you can stop complaining now Dudley, you'll be going back tomorrow and every day thereafter until September and you will pass your physical tests at school this fall."

"Come on Dudley, you hardly broke a sweat. How bad could it be?" Harry said trying his best to give his cousin a pep talk.

-0000000-

Harry hated when he jinxed himself. The next day when they got to the gym the smiling girl was behind the desk but Sergeant Fire was waiting for them. He grinned at them and clapped his hands together,

"Ready for boot camp, boys?"

Dudley and Harry both nodded and followed their trainer towards the stretching area in the square room. Sergeant Fire had them do jumping jacks to warm up and then led them through a serious of stretches and pushed them to dig deeper into them than they had the previous day. Then it started. Sergeant Fire told them to line up against the non-mirrored wall and start doing lunges until they reached the mirrors in front of them. Then they were supposed to do rear lunges backwards to the wall they'd started at. They did that three times and then started on the next exercise. Instead of showing them how it was done like the previous day Sergeant Fire turned into the drill instructor he'd been.

"Do you think that is a lunge, Potter?"

"I can't tell if you're squatting right, because I'm much too distracted by your crying,Dursley!"

By the end of the conditioning exercises Harry was feeling every muscle in his body but they'd only been exercising for an hour at that point and had a half hour of whatever Sergeant Fire wanted to throw at them left. Which turned out to be another run, like the day before, except this time Harry was given two miles to run and Dudley still had only one. Soon, Harry retracted his original indignation about having to run an extra mile, when Fire followed Dudley for his run.

"Are you a quitter,Dursley? Is your mommy making you do this work out?"

"Do you think you can beat Potter here? He blew right by you on the track and he's nothing but skin and bones. Do you eat both your dinner and his, Dursley? Is that why you both look the way you do? A skeleton is beating you,Dursley. A skeleton with no muscle to speak of. Come on. You can do one mile if he's doing two."

The litany of insults mixed with praise followed Dudley the entire mile. Harry looked back to see Dudley's terror filled face.

After they stretched again and then showered they met Sergeant Fire by the door and he handed them their fitness read outs and their week schedule.

"Tomorrow is an off day, so I expect to see you here bushy tailed and bright eyed on Thursday and ready to do some weight lifting and more running. You might want to take some time in an ice bath tonight, or a bath with Epsom salts to make sure you keep your muscles happy. See you Thursday then!"

Harry and Dudley trudged out the car tired and down trodden. Aunt Petunia didn't even ask how it went this time.

-0000-

The summer dragged on in much this same manner. Harry did his chores, went to the gym, and studied his spell books. As June wore on Harry could feel his body start to get stronger and noticed he was eating better and sleeping more hours undisturbed. He figured if nothing else this exercise prepared him for a time when he might not have his wand and he would have to defend himself.

He started seeing Cedric's dead body less in his dreams and more when he was exercising. He used it to fuel his work outs and to push through the yelling Sergeant Fire decided to turn on Harry once he had gotten Dudley moving in a promising direction.

"I can't believe the things he's allowed to say to us," Dudley said, after a day of relentless screaming while they swam swung hisbag over his shoulder and they started towards the door. "I mean, I said something to Mum about it and she said, 'Well I'm sure it's for your own good now isn't it?'"

Dudley's imitation of Aunt Petunia was spot on and Harry snorted in laughter.

"I'm sure she'd have let you quit, if it weren't for the school nurse checking in all the time," Harry said and held the door open for Dudley to walk through.

"I know, I mean I hate him. And I hate the shite he says, but he was sort of right, wasn't he? I mean, at first, you didn't look like you should be walking upright and you were able to run longer than me. Plus, I can't wait to get back to school. I'm going to look great and there's a girl I've had my eye on," Dudley said and puffed out his chest proudly.

Harry laughed and shook his head and they both crawled into the car to head home.

"How was training today, dear?" Aunt Petunia asked after they'd left the parking lot.

"Oh fine… I almost drowned, because Sergeant Fire wouldn't believe that I had a cramp and made me do one lap too many, but it was fine," Dudley said melodramatically from the front seat, but he turned and winked at Harry. Harry shook his head. Dudley had stopped hating the work outs weeks before when he realized he looked better than he had in years, and that he was actually getting in better shape than some of his neighborhood friends he'd always hung out with. Harry and he had a sort of truce when it came to the exercising. While Dudley still terrorized Harry most times and made fun of him for being a wizard, they had come to commiserate about the terror and the pain that Sergeant Fire inflicted.

-00000-

Harry's summer felt relatively boring by this point in mid-July when he'd done all of his summer reading, as well as the essays he'd been assigned, and still hadn't heard anything from anyone about Voldemort's return. _The Daily Prophet_ mentioned strange disappearances every once in a while, but nothing of substance. He scowled and threw the latest edition on his desk in disgust. He couldn't believe there was no new information. He grabbed a quill and scribbled three letters all in the same vein to Sirius, Hagrid, and Ron asking for any scrap of information they could give him. He'd received a letter from Hermione, who was on holiday with her parents in Greece, but it'd been short and mostly said she' d missed him and would be sure to bring him back a gift. She'd also rambled about the history and wizarding culture of Greece, but Harry hadn't really read that part carefully. He'd been worried about her being out of England possibly in harm's way, but Sirius had told him that Dumbledore had been okay with Hermione's trip, so Harry tried not to be anxious about her returning to England safely.

_How much longer would they be safe?_

His scar hadn't been hurting, and he hadn't had anyone show up telling him of grave danger. He assumed that was good news, but he couldn't help but grow more anxious by the day. Harry stared outside the window at the stars and wished the waiting was over.


	2. Dementors

Harry and Dudley started to take runs in the mornings on the weekends when they weren't meeting with Sergeant Fire. Their schedule worked out that they would be at PT Fitness (dubbed by Harry and Dudley as Pain and Terror Fitness) Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. This meant they had Wednesday and Friday as recovery days, but needed to get some sort of exercise in (according to their plan of improvement) on Saturday and Sunday. Harry and Dudley chose an easy run around the neighborhood, usually followed by a short walk to the community pool to cool off in the summer heat. This became a ritual every weekend of their summer.

Harry found the program was helping him to forget, and to prepare for whatever was looming over his head that summer. All three letters had been returned with no information about what was happening, but full of advice about not worrying. Ron's had been the most stress relieving of the responses, but he'd mostly just tried distracting Harry by talking about the Weasley family and Quidditch anecdotes. Sirius' reply had been more forthcoming about the situation even with a lack of information.

_"No news as of yet. Mysterious disappearances, but the Ministry is being stubborn. Think it might have to do with re-election this fall; Fudge doesn't want to be the Minister that let Voldemort come back. Please just be safe and don't do anything foolish. Love, Sirius." _

All of this Harry had gleamed from the _Daily Prophet_. Ginny sent him a _Quibbler_ at one point and this seemed to have more interesting theories on going-on in the wizarding world, but Harry doubted most of it was founded in any truth. It did, like Ron's letter, keep his mind off of the mess and the note included explained its origins,

"_This is my friend Luna's family paper. It's basically rubbish as far as the weird stories, but the way that the Daily Prophet is handling all this, it's probably helpful to read any and all pieces of information. Love, Ginny."_

Harry shook his head as he finished looking through the _Quibbler_ and put it on his desk with the stack of _Daily Prophets_. What was he going to do this year? It had become tradition that he'd face a new trial against Voldemort, making him wondered what that would mean this time.

Harry sighed and looked out the window into the early evening dusk. An owl was flying towards him carrying a package. He glanced at the clock next to his bed. It was only two hours until his fifteenth birthday. Harry sighed and opened his window for the owl, smiling as Hedwig dropped inside hooting happily. He ran his hand over her head affectionately, and took the package from her leg as Pig and another owl flew in last. Each had a package and a letter attached to it. Harry smiled at the gifts. Before his eleventh birthday, he had not looked forward to birthdays and now, his life included a great deal of people who thought of him on this day. Harry was glad that he had them to make it more than just another disappointing day in a line of disappointing days at the Dursley's house.

First, he opened the package from Hermione that Hedwig had brought in. As he pulled the small box open he was surprised at the material inside. An official British Quidditch Team Jersey, with Potter on the back unfolded as he pulled it out of the box. He smiled brightly and laid the jersey out on his bed. He opened the letter that came with it and read Hermione's neat handwriting.

"_Dear Harry, _

_ Happy Birthday! I hope your summer is going well, and that you're doing okay. Are you still having nightmares? I hope the Dursley's aren't treating you too badly. I'm glad that the working out has gotten better and that you're enjoying it. I've started to run regularly, as well. I've also been studying some of the advanced potions and spells that I want to teach you. I hope that you're being safe and we'll be seeing you soon, I'm sure. I have your gift still and I hope that you like yours a bit more than Ron seemed to like his. (He was a bit of a git about it.) Miss you. _

_ Love, Hermione"_

Harry folded the letter and put it with the jersey on the bed. _How come Hermione was with Ron? Why wasn't he with them?_

Pig was fluttering about the room with his small package still attached to his leg and Harry remembered he had more presents. He was able to catch the small owl long enough to disentangle the package. He pulled the brown paper off to reveal a new pair of Quidditch gloves. They were soft leather and seemed fairly nice considering the Weasley's financial situation. He felt bad as he fingered the new gloves and grabbed the accompanying letter.

_ "Harry, _

_ Hermione and I thought you'd like these since you're old ones were getting ragged. So technically, they're from the both of us, but I found the kind you like and picked them out, so they're more from me. Mum, Dad and everyone say "hi" and Ginny is going to send you more Quibblers since that's (unfortunately) the only good information that's getting out right now with the Ministry so afraid to say what's actually going on. We're getting pretty bored here, so hopefully you'll be joining us soon. _

_ Ron"_

Again, Harry felt oddly jealous that Ron and Hermione were spending time together without him. He wished he could be with them wherever they were. It didn't sound like they were at the Burrow. The last bird was quite larger than Hedwig and actually had two packages attached to its legs. One was from Mrs. Weasley and included some brownies and Ginny had packed two more _Quibblers_. The other was from Sirius and contained only a business card for a Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry frowned and pulled the note out; only one short sentence was scrawled on the paper:

_"When you go to Diagon Alley for your supplies stop in and ask the owner for whatever you like."_ Harry read and reread the letters and stared at the card. There were too many things that were being left unsaid by the people he loved and trusted. Harry put his presents on his bed and stared at them. He should have been happy, but instead the entire summer was making him angry. He finally just put it all away in his trunk and changed into his running clothes. He was just exiting his room when Dudley was coming up the stairs.

"Going for a run?" Dudley asked curiously. Harry nodded curtly. "Can I come?"

Harry almost said that he needed to be alone, but being alone was what was making him so angry. He nodded and Dudley rushed to get changed. Harry was just tying his trainers in the entry when Dudley came down the stairs.

"Mum, Harry and I are going for a run. Be back soon," Dudley yelled towards the living room, and the two teens stepped outside onto the nearly dark street without waiting for her reply. They walked to the corner, not speaking, and then both started to jog at the same time. Harry enjoyed the running more than a lot of the training. He was getting better and stronger. Aunt Petunia had even started to cook an occasional normal meal, now that Dudley had dropped the required amount of weight. Harry let out a huge breathe, letting his body relax as they rounded another block, and night had settled around them. The street lights were turning on along the street.

"Feels good to be running now. Better than two months ago…" Dudley said as he huffed a little. Harry realized he'd been increasing his speed regularly until they were running all out, because he'd been distracted. He slowed down to a more comfortable pace. They'd reached the park they normally ran through and started on the gravel path at a more leisurely run speed. "Sarge should be pretty happy with us by the end of the summer."

Harry stopped abruptly as the air grew dramatically colder. Dudley stopped as well and looked around him.

"What's going on? Why'd it get so dark all of a sudden?" Dudley asked and Harry noticed it had grown noticeably darker than the normal night sky. Harry's stomach fell and he knew why he recognized these feelings.

"Dudley! Quick!" Harry grabbed his cousin and they started sprinting back through the park, but Harry stopped dead as a Dementor floated down in front of them. Harry turned to run the other direction, but more were descending that way as well. Dudley whimpered, but he had stopped frozen in place and was looking around wildly.

"Dudley!" Harry yelled, but the first Dementor was floating towards his cousin. Dudley was slowing loosing color in his skin and he crumbled to the ground. Harry scrambled to pull his wand out of his shorts band as his mother's screaming started in his head. He managed to tug it loose just as the Dementor leaned in towards Dudley's face.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled trying hard to think of his friends and seeing Hogwarts. His stag burst from the end of his wand and Harry pointed to the Dementor near Dudley, "Get it!"  
>The silvery stage stampeded towards the Dementor piercing it with his antler. The Dementor made a horrible wailing noise flying into the air. The stag turned, charging toward the ones that had blocked their path across the park and Harry ran to Dudley. The Dementors flew into the sky and disappeared. Instantly, the stag disappeared as well and the night sky lit up again. Harry kneeled over Dudley, who was shivering and looking ash gray. Harry looked up as the sound of shuffling feet across pavement came from the edge of the park. Harry blinked at Mrs. Figg, in her faded bathrobe and slippers, ringing her hands nervously.<p>

"Keep the wand out boy! I'll be no help if they come back. I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher."

She leaned over Dudley and clucked her tongue. She glanced around nervously, wrung her hands over and over mumbling to herself.

"Get him up and keep your wand out, we have to get back."

Harry hauled Dudley up and put his cousin's arm around his shoulders. Dudley had lost weight over the summer and Harry had gotten stronger, but Harry still struggled to move his cousin and hold his wand up. They shuffled along the road back towards Privet Drive.

"Dumbledore is going to kill us… Oh, I am going to beat Mundungus about the head, over and over for leaving me here. He knows I can't do magic… and now, this is exactly what Dumbledore didn't want to happen!" Mrs. Figg muttered to herself, continuously.

"How do you… what's going on? Are you a witch?" Harry asked her, as he struggled to keep Dudley upright.

"I'm a squib. Which Mundugus well knows," Mrs. Figg continued to grumble her eyes wild and her curlers falling down her hair. "Dumbledore told me to keep an eye on you, but I was just supposed to be a backup. Mundungus was supposed to be the one tailing you for actual trouble. Stupid man, stupid, worthless wizard."

Harry stopped listening to her and concentrated on keeping Dudley up and moving. He sighed in relief as they shuffled onto Privet Drive and Mrs. Figg looked around the street narrowing her gaze and holding her purse close to her body. They made it to the Dursley's stoop, and Mrs. Figg's mumbled something about getting in contact with someone and then disappeared down the street.


	3. Owls

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize in this one is from OotP as is the basic premise of this chapter.

A/N: Thanks to my super wonderful beta Steph! I will have the fourth chapter up later this week and a fifth maybe next week.

Harry fumbled with the door, still holding Dudley and his wand, but his efforts were unsuccessful with his sweaty hands. He was about to set Dudley down to the get at the door when it flew open. Aunt Petunia gaped at the two of them, and then let out a loud shriek.

"OH! Dudleykins! What ever happened? Get him inside. Did you not hydrate properly, dear? What happened?"

Harry hauled his cousin in, sat him down on a chair in the kitchen and stepped back. He peered through the kitchen window at the street. He squinted, straining for signs of a second attack. Dudley stared straight ahead and Aunt Petunia flittered around him like a hummingbird.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Aunt Petunia screeched, rounding on Harry after getting Dudley a glass of water. Dudley just held onto the glass without drinking.

"I didn't do anything!" Harry yelled back at her, anger boiling over as he and his aunt glared at each other across the kitchen.

"Wasn't… wasn't… something was… I'm cold, Mum," Dudley managed to garble out. Petunia rushed into the living room and came back with an afghan. She wrapped the blanket around his shoulders just as an owl flew in through the open kitchen window. Harry nearly blasted it with his wand. It dropped a letter at Harry's feet, giving him a reproachful look, and then flew out the window. Aunt Petunia looked like she was about to faint. Dudley just stared into space and absently sipped the water. Harry bent down and ripped open the letter.

"Dear Mr. Potter,

We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle. The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.

As you have already received an official warning for a previous offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statue of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on August 1st.

Hoping you are well,

Yours sincerely,

MafaldaHopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic"

Harry read the letter twice. He was dumbfounded by their response to the situation. They couldn't be serious. He had been defending himself. How could they expel him from Hogwarts? He felt a lump rise in his throat and wondered if he would start to cry. In that moment, when Harry stood paralyzed, his Uncle Vernon walked into the house mumbling about overpriced brandy. He came into the kitchen, stopping dead at the gathering of his thought briefly that it must be strange sight for his uncle. Aunt Petunia was babbling at a grey faced Dudley, and Harry was standing next to the sink holding a piece of parchment.

"What in blue blazes is going on in here?"

Aunt Petunia shrieked and pointed at Harry, "He did something to Dudley! I can't get him to speak. He's all feverish."

Uncle Vernon turned on Harry his face going red, "What did you do to my son?"

Harry barely acknowledged him. They were coming to take his wand, he had to move. He started towards the kitchen door, but Uncle Vernon stepped into it blocking it with his massive body.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? You will answer me!" Uncle Vernon's face had turned a purple color and his temple was throbbing so hard Harry wondered if it might burst.

"Get out of my way," Harry said emotionless.

"Not until you explain-" Uncle Vernon started, but Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at his Uncle.

Uncle Vernon looked at it warily, "You can't do that, you'll be expelled from that madhouse you call a school!"

"That madhouse has chucked me out for saving your son," Harry said. "So, I can do whatever I like. You've got three seconds. One-two-"

A resounding CRACK filled the kitchen and the Dursley's ducked down. Harry looked for the source of the sound and saw an owl had run into the now-closed kitchen window. Harry rushed to grab the parchment.

"Harry-

Dumbledore just arrived at the Ministry, and he's trying to sort it all out. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE. DO NOT DO ANY MORE MAGIC. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR WAND. See you soon.

-Arthur Weasley"

Harry furrowed his brow and read the letter again. What did that mean? What was Dumbledore going to be able to do about the Ministry? What was going to happen? What was he supposed to do if the officials came? Harry became aware of Dudley whimpering again, and realized he could do something besides wait for his life to end.

"I'm staying," Harry said, reaching into one of the upper cabinets to grab a bar of chocolate that he knew Aunt Petunia kept hidden there. He opened the wrapping and gave a piece to Dudley. His cousin stared at it for a moment, before a small spark came back into his eyes and he devoured it. Harry patted his shoulder and looked up to see that Uncle Vernon hadn't responded, because he was fuming so badly he couldn't speak.

"Dudders are you okay?" Aunt Petunia said, crouching down next to Dudley. He nodded slowly though he still looked grey. "What happened?"

"It went all dark… felt… cold…" Dudley stuttered out and looked to Harry, "I felt… I felt like…"

"You'd never be happy again?" Harry said, Dudley nodded and gulped. Dudley's body tensed and he shook his head.

"Heard voices… horrible voices…"

"So, you put some crackpot spell on my son to make him hear voices and feel bad?" Uncle Vernon finally found his voice and took a menacing step towards Harry.

"I told you, I didn't do it!" Harry yelled back at his Uncle, "It was a couple of Dementors!"  
>"A couple of what? What are those?"<p>

"They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban," Petunia said, breaking off another piece of chocolate and handing it to Dudley who didn't even take it. He, Harry, and Uncle Vernon stared at her. Aunt Petunia went pale and tried to avoid their gaze.

"How'd you know that?" Harry asked her in astonishment

Aunt Petunia gulped, looking at her husband fearfully. She shook her head and shrugged her thin shoulders, "I heard -that awful boy-telling her about them, years ago."

"If you mean my mum and dad, why don't you use their names?" said Harry loudly, but Aunt Petunia looked dazed and didn't even acknowledge him.

Harry stared at his aunt who was still trying to coax Dudley to eat the second square of chocolate and Uncle Vernon was pinching himself as if to wake up from a dream. A third owl chose that moment to fly into the kitchen.

"More Owls?" Uncle Vernon grumbled, but he was distracted and took a seat next to Dudley. Harry took the letter and opened it with trembling fingers,

"Dear Mr. Potter,

Further to our letter of approximately twenty-two minutes ago, the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to destroy your wand forthwith. You may retain your wand until your disciplinary hearing on the 12th of August, at which time an official decision will be taken.

Following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, the Ministry has agreed that the question of your expulsion will also be decided at that time. You should therefore consider yourself suspended from school pending further inquiries.

With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

MafaldaHopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic"

Harry let out the breath he had been holding while reading the letter. He had a slight reprieve. At least he had a couple of days until it was official, but he couldn't very well run away from the Ministry if they decided to snap his wand anyway. What was he going to do?

"What is this one about then?" Uncle Vernon asked, finally snapping out of his stupor.

"Ministry of Magic… I have a hearing for using my wand around a Muggle," Harry said reading the letter another time.

"You lot have a Ministry? And they'll decide your fate then will they?"

Harry only nodded at his Uncle. Uncle Vernon smiled and clapped his hands together, "Well then there's hope isn't there? Hope your lot has the death penalty."

Harry shrugged and turned to walk upstairs.

"Not so fast!" bellowed Uncle Vernon. "You get right back here!"

"What now?" Harry asked impatiently.

"What exactly happened to my son? Is he going to be okay?" Uncle Vernon demanded furiously.

"We were running through the park when the Dementors showed up. They swooped down on us and one of them went after Dudley. They suck all the happiness out of you, if they can, and if they really want to harm you they kiss you," Harry said, spilling the story as fast as possible thinking about what was going to happen at the trial and if he'd be able to live on the run with Sirius.

"KISS YOU?" Uncle Vernon was turning purple again and the vein that had slowed roared into action again.

"It's what they call it, when they suck the soul out of your mouth."

Aunt Petunia shrieked and grabbed Dudley's shoulders looking at him from every angle as if she could tell if he'd had the Dementor's kiss.

"He still has his soul, you'd know if he didn't," Harry said, but Aunt Petunia was already crying and hugging Dudley to her. Dudley was too weak to protest.

"If that's the case how did he get away? Fought him off son?" Uncle Vernon looked to Dudley, who couldn't respond because his mother was still smothering him in kisses and hugging him to her.

"You can't fight off Dementors without magic. I used the Patronus Charm to scare them off and then hauled Dudley back here," Harry said, with exasperation. Another owl flew in the window, dropped a scrap of paper off in his hand and then flew away. Uncle Vernon looked more incensed.

"NO MORE OWLS!"

"I can't stop the owls from coming…" Harry grumbled, reading the two short lines in his godfather's handwriting.

_"Arthur told me what happened. Stay put. Do not leave the house."_

Harry glared at the parchment. What did they think he was? He'd been fighting off Dementors, not showing off. Everyone was acting like he had done something wrong. No one even mentioned the oddness of the Dementors being in Little Whinging, or the amazing fact that Harry had fought them off anyway.

"So you'll be expelled for doing magic. Well they can call me in, to give a statement; you just admitted it, didn't you?" Uncle Vernon looked very pleased with himself.

"What were they doing in Little Whining?" Dudley said suddenly, looking at Harry in confusion.

"I don't know…" Harry said, but his mind had already been coming up with possible explanations.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Dudley said looking at Harry fearfully, "They were after you, weren't they? Could have attacked anyone…"

The kitchen went silent and Harry looked at Dudley. Uncle Vernon laughed maliciously causing Harry to look at him in confusion, "They were after you, because you're a fugitive, is that it? Since they guard that prison then?"

"Of course I'm not," Harry snapped at him, "Dudley's right though… They were sent after me…"

"By who?" Dudley asked, shaking his head and pushing his mother off of him. Aunt Petunia looked ashen as she sat in the chair looking at Harry.

"Lord Voldemort."

"The one who…" Vernon said, looking at Harry in surprise.

"Murdered my parents."

"But he's gone, that giant bloke said so," Uncle Vernon said.

"He's back," Harry said anger in his voice as he thought of all the things that Voldemort managed to take away from him and seemed bent on continuing to take away from him.

"Back?" Aunt Petunia whispered.

She was shaking her head and her hands were shaking. Harry stared at her as he realized that of all the people in this room she was the only one to fully understand what that meant. That Lily Potter hadn't been just his mother, but had been Aunt Petunia's sister. Harry nodded at her slowly and she sobbed again.

"He came after me, a month ago," Harry said, and Aunt Petunia shook her head again. She reached out, grabbing Dudley's hand. Dudley looked from Harry to his mother in confusion and fear.

"This Lord Voldemort, who killed your parents, he's back?" Uncle Vernon said, looking both confused and frightened.

"Yes," Harry said.

"And he's sending these… Dismember things after you?"

"Yes."

"Well then," Uncle Vernon's eyes turned hard and he glared at Harry, "You get out of this house."

Harry blinked and gulped, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me-OUT!" Uncle Vernon was back on his feet and bellowing again. "Out! Out! I should've done it years ago! Owls flying in and out! Flying cars and exploding puddings! And poor Marge floating about on the ceiling!"

Harry stood rooted to the spot. Sirius' and Arthur's words ringing in his head, he was supposed to stay and he wasn't sure what lay outside his aunt and uncle's home. What was he supposed to do?

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" His uncle screamed until his face turned violently purple. "I should have taken you to the orphanage the day they dropped you off on our porch all those years ago! Marge was right! Bad BREEDING! You should have been tossed out! I would not have to deal with these… strange people! And these strange happenings! All of it! And those damn bloody-OWLS!"

Another owl flew in and dropped a scarlet envelope onto the table in front of Aunt Petunia. Harry dove across the kitchen to grab it, but his Aunt beat him to it.

"You can open it if you like," said Harry, "but I'll hear what it says anyway. That's a Howler."

"Drop it, Petunia! It could be dangerous!" roared Uncle Vernon. Aunt Petunia looked down at the envelope and turned from ash to green.

"It's… It's addressed to me," her voice was shaking as she turned the envelope over. "Mrs. Petunia Dursley, The Kitchen, Number Four, Privet Drive-"

The envelope started to smoke and move in agitation and Aunt Petunia shrieked.

"Open it!" Harry said urgently. "Get it over with! It'll happen anyway-"

"NO-"

Aunt Petunia was looking wildly from Harry to Vernon to Dudley and then to the kitchen door. The letter's smoke increased until it burst into flames and Aunt Petunia dropped it. A voice boomed out of the letter,

"REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA."

Aunt Petunia swayed in her chair for a moment and Vernon looked torn between going to her or strangling Harry on the spot. Dudley's color had returned to normal and he looked at his mother in concern and confusion.

"What is this?" Uncle Vernon said hoarsely. "What-I don't-Petunia?"

Aunt Petunia whimpered in response and Dudley reached for her hand. She stared at her son for a moment and shook her head. Harry watched it all as if he was having an out of body experience. He felt as if the kitchen had become some sort of stage and he stood in the audience waiting for the next act to explain everything that was happening.

"The boy stays," Petunia finally said, but she made a point of not looking at Harry.

"W-w-what?" Uncle Vernon stuttered.

"He stays, Vernon," She said in her waspish manner. She shook her head and the haute expression fell back on her face. "If we throw him out the neighbors will talk. They'll want to know where he's gone and that will be too awkward for me, Vernon. So, he stays."

She stood from the table and turned to look at Harry.

"You are to go to your room. You are not allowed to go outside, unless I say so. Now bed, both of you," She said looking to Dudley as well.

"But… who was that letter from? Are you in touch with wizards? What's going to happen? What was the last one?" Harry fired the questions at his aunt, but she stared at him blankly and shook her head.

"Bed, now!"

Both boys looked at each other for a moment and Aunt Petunia's face turned from blank to annoyed. They both scurried out of the kitchen.

"Petunia…" Uncle Vernon said as they left the kitchen, but Harry couldn't hear anything else that was said.


	4. Advance Guard

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize in this chapter comes from OotP. As usual, Harry Potter and all it's wonderful characters are from the beautiful mind of the Queen.

A/N: Last chapter before the mystery starts to unravel differently than what happened in OotP. Please read and review if you like the story! Thanks again to my WONDERFUL beta Steph (and good luck to her as she starts her first NaNoWriMo)

Harry spent the next week sitting in his room, worrying about the future. The only times he interacted with the family were when he went down stairs to go to the training sessions or an occasional meal. Dudley tried to talk to him about what had happened, but Harry refused to speak about it. Harry's mood worsened as the days went by without any more news. No letters from Sirius, Ron, or Hermione, and he hadn't heard anything else from the Ministry or from Dumbledore. His own letters went unanswered. He felt completely alone.

On Saturday morning, Dudley poked his head into Harry's room. Harry didn't look up from the most recent _Quibbler_. Dudley stepped in slowly and stood awkwardly by the door.

"What is it, Dudley?" Harry said through gritted teeth.

"I was wondering… do you, do you want to go for a run?" Dudley asked, shifting from foot to foot.

Harry turned and stared at him. Dudley shrugged his large shoulders and Harry shook his head "no", before turning back to the paper. Dudley nodded, but still didn't leave the room.

"Well, if you can't go for a run… I mean we could do something in the back yard, couldn't we? Go through some of our exercises and do some push-ups and sit-ups."

The silence stretched between them, but Dudley did not leave. Harry sighed, "Just give me a minute to put on my stuff."

Dudley smiled at him and nodded. He left the room, and Harry stood up from the desk. His room was a disaster. He'd need to get this packed up soon; he didn't know when he'd be leaving. He picked through his clothing strewn on the floor until he found shorts and a cotton t-shirt.

He discovered Dudley in the back yard setting up garden stakes in a grid and then tying clothing line to them about a foot off the ground. Harry frowned at the various obstacles his cousin had set up.

"What's all this?" Harry asked, as Dudley stood up proudly surveying his work.

"I saw something like this on the telly a couple of weeks ago and thought I'd give it a try. So we'll race, or rather time each other and whoever does it fastest wins. We have to do five jumping jacks, run a zigzag through the pots, and then cross over the boards by balancing on them," Dudley walked through the obstacles demonstrating. "And then you have to throw the egg into that bucket and then crawl under the ropes without touching them and then you're done."

Harry nodded as Dudley beamed at him, "Alright, you first then."

Dudley started and Harry kept time as his cousin tried to get through all the obstacles as fast as he could. He threw his egg into the neighbors bushes, but other than that Harry was impressed with how much more coordinated his cousin had become since starting the program with Sergeant Fire.

"Your turn!" Dudley said, jumping up after finishing the crawl exercise.

Harry rushed the obstacles and fell off the balance board because of it. By the time he was crawling through the last obstacle, he was laughing along with Dudley.

"I beat you!" Dudley said, writing Harry's time on a notepad next to his own.

"Best two out of three," Harry said, making Dudley chortle as he headed back to the start.

By the time Aunt Petunia was calling them for dinner, Harry and Dudley had made up more and more ridiculous obstacles to trip the other up. After they cleaned up the yard, the boys went into the house to shower and change. Harry felt the fog he had been living in for the past week had lifted. Harry stopped at the top of the stairs, turning to Dudley,

"Thanks."

Dudley shrugged and smiled at him, "Hey, you saved my life. And I needed to do something today or I was going to go spare. Mum wouldn't let me go anywhere alone."

Harry nodded, moving into his room. He kicked his trunk in frustration and sat down on his bed.

"Why is everyone always in trouble, because of me?" Harry asked the empty room. He put his head into his hands and tried to shake his feelings of regret. Hedwig cooed at him from across the room. He looked up and she flew to him, cuddling into his arms. Harry stroked her feathers, feeling some of the weight lift.

"Would you mind taking some more letters?" Harry asked his sleeping owl. She blinked at him. He stood up, still holding her and set her on the desk. He wrote one letter to his friends and attached it to Hedwig's leg. He pulled out a owl treat from his desk drawer and Hedwig took it before flying out the window. Aunt Petunia's shrill voice called up the stairs, "Hurry up! You won't get anything if you aren't down here in the next five minutes."

-000-

Harry sat at the table eating his food, but he didn't speak to anyone and they didn't seem to notice his existence at all. Dudley talked animatedly with his parents about all the things he was going to need for the upcoming school year; he'd lost enough weight to drop a uniform size.

"We'll be going out after dinner," Aunt Petunia said. There was a silence for a minute at the table. Harry looked up to realize she was talking to him, her expression was blank. "You are to stay in your room for the evening."

Harry nodded absently as he got up, and started clearing the table. His aunt turned back to Uncle Vernon and picked up whatever conversation they'd been having. Harry finished the dishes, and tromped up to his room to lie down on his bed again. Harry heard Dudley's television go on in the room down the hall and moments later the front door shut. Harry closed his eyes and tried to sleep, to do anything other than think about what might happen in the future.

He was in that half-asleep dream state, where the world only barely exists, when a crash from downstairs jolted him awake. He sat up and grabbed his wand off the table. He held his breathe, listening as hard as he could. The sound of mumbling voices was coming from the kitchen.

Dudley tripped into his room out of breathe. Harry pointed his wand at the boy making Dudley stop dead. Harry let out the breathe he was holding and lowered the wand.

"Lock the door," Harry whispered at him. Dudley did as he was told, then rushed to Harry's side.

"Burglars!" Dudley whispered. Harry shook his head and whispered back, "Too loud, burglars would be quiet."

"Then who…" Dudley stopped his frantic whispering. The sound of footsteps on the stairs and more murmured conversation could be heard. Harry stood with his wand in front of him, but his other hand shook a bit as he waited for whoever would come through the door. The murmur of a spell and the click of the lock sounded and Professor Lupin stood in the doorframe.

"Lupin!" Harry cried, relief rushing through him.

"Hello Harry, how've you been? Are you alright?" Lupin asked.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" Harry asked. Lupin blinked seeing Dudley. His cousin was still standing back looking at the older man in suspicion.

"We came to get you. I thought the Dursley's were out of the house," Lupin said.

"Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia left earlier. How did you know?" Harry asked, "And this is Dudley, my cousin. Dudley, this is Professor Lupin, he was a friend of my parents'."

Lupin was interrupted by the gruff voice of Mad-Eye Moody who stepped into the door, "Come on, we have to get a move on. Never know who is a spy and who might be watching. Good to actually meet you, Mr. Potter."

"Hello, where are we going?" Harry asked, looking between his two professors.

"Better that we don't say it here," Moody said and his magical eye whirled about the room and settled on Dudley. Dudley looked ready to pass out as he and the magical eye stared at each other. "What's he doing here? Thought he was supposed to go with the other two muggles."

"I decided to stay home," Dudley squeaked. Harry shook his head and started gathering his things, throwing them haphazardly into his trunk. Lupin moved his wand and the rest of Harry's belongings flitted into the trunk in a semi-organized state.

"Come on Harry, you should meet the rest of your guards," Lupin said and motioned for Harry to follow him. He muttered "Locomotive" and Hedwig's empty cage, the trunk and Harry's broom followed him out of the room. Dudley yelped, grabbing at Harry's arm frantically. Harry grimaced as Dudley's fingers dug into his flesh.

"You can't leave me here alone," Dudley squealed, "What happens if those things come back?"

"We'll leave a guard behind with you, Mr. Dursley," Lupin said, before Harry could respond. Dudley still looked concerned, but he let go of Harry's arm.

Harry followed Lupin down the stairs. Five witches and wizards were milling around his aunt and uncle's small kitchen. Adding Lupin, Moody, Dudley, and Harry made it uncomfortably crowded.

"Harry, these are members of the Order of the Phoenix. Kingsley Shacklebot, Nymphadora Tonks, they're both aurors," Moody started with introductions.

"You're right Remus, looks just like James-except the eyes," the large man said in a deep, rolling tone. Harry shook Kingsley's large hand. He then nodded to the woman who had shockingly pink hair spiked all over her head and violet colored eyes.

"Tonks… I hate being called Nymphadora," the woman said, glaring at Moody and then smiling at Harry and shoving her hand out to him, "Hallo, Harry."

"Are you really Aurors? What's the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry asked.

"Time for questions later," Moody growled.

Moody moved Harry on, "This is Dedalus Diggle."

"Oh, I've met Mr. Potter before," the older man squeaked and his purple top hat almost fell off his head as he stepped forward to violently shake Harry's hand. Harry smiled at the man who had been so enthusiastic to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron in his first year.

"Hello Mr. Diggle, it's nice to see you again, it's been about four years now," Harry said.

Dedalus' looked ready to faint and spluttered, "Oh you remember me! How lovely, how lovely, oh yes, you've grown quite a bit since I last saw you."

"This is Elphias Doge," Moody said, pointing to the man next to Dedalus. Dedalus stepped forward, his shoulders stooped, wrinkles around his eyes and hair coming out of his ears.

"Mr. Potter, a pleasure to meet you," Elphias weezed. "Dumbledore told me all about you, good friend of mine Albus is-we went to school together."

Harry nodded politely. Elphias didn't give off the same air of power that Dumbledore did which made Elphias seem much older, close to the age of dirt perhaps.

The last member of the Order of the Phoenix was a short portly woman who reminded Harry of Molly Weasley. She smiled and nodded her head at him with her black hair falling into her face.

"Hestia Jones, Mr. Potter," the plump woman said. Her eyes were blue, but Harry could swear he saw a flicker of flame in them. He was drawn towards her. He took a step then stopped, unable to speak or move any further. Moody cleared his throat and Harry realized he'd been staring in silence at the strange woman. Harry nodded his head at her and turned back to the group. Dudley was trying to stand inconspicuously against the wall near the stove.

"There were quite a few volunteers to come get you," Lupin said with a small smile. Harry nodded, but his head was spinning with all the questions and he didn't see the amusement of his large guard. Tonks was busy peering through the window and then looking around the kitchen in turns.

"Very clean these muggles. My dad is muggleborn, but he's a right slob. Though I suppose muggles are different, just like wizards," Tonks said, staring at her reflection in the spotless countertop.

"When are we leaving? What's been happening? Is there any news about Voldemort?" Harry asked, looking from Moody to Lupin. The entire group jumped at the name of the dark lord.

"Not here Harry, later. We're waiting for the signal. Elphias, I want you to stay here with Mr. Dursley until his parents return," Lupin said, moving to stand with Tonks at the window. "Okay, there it is, let's go."

Harry waved to Dudley, "Goodbye Dudley."

"Harry," Dudley said, stepping forward off the wall and then stopping as all the eyes in the kitchen turned to him. "Umm… Well I just wanted to say, be safe. And I'll make sure to keep training all year until I can beat you at the evaluation next summer."

Harry smiled at Dudley and nodded, "Sure Dudley. I'll see you in June."

Lupin ushered Harry out into the yard where another witch joined them. She stood straight as an arrow and her platinum blonde hair was swept back perfectly into a complicated knot on the back of her head. She reminded Harry of Narcissa Malfoy when he had seen her at the World Cup the year before.

"Mr. Potter. Wonderful to meet you. Everyone ready?" The witch spoke in uncomfortable, short sentences.

"Yes, Emmeline," Tonks said, though she sounded annoyed. Emmeline gave Tonks a disapproving stare and Harry thought for sure she and the Malfoy's were related. Everyone mounted their brooms that were laid around the backyard. Tonks handed Harry his from the top of his trunk, "Oh Harry, a Firebolt. That is a bloody brilliant broom."

"Thanks," Harry said his heart flying as he thought of flying for the first time in months.

"Alright, I'll ride in front, Kingsley riding the rear. The rest of you, I want you rotating on a regular interval. Keep your wands out and ready. We don't stop for anything, if one of us dies the rest are to get Harry to headquarters at all costs. Stay close and constant vigilance!" Moody barked orders to the group.

"Is that likely to happen?" Harry asked Moody, his stomach dropping. Moody ignored Harry and instead hit him on the head with his wand. Harry felt like an egg had been cracked over his head as something cold and strange ran down his body. Harry looked down to see his skin camouflaged into the scenery of the garden. He looked like a human chameleon. Tonks was grinning widely at him as she watched his body disappear.

"What was that?" Harry asked, staring at his hands in amazement.

"Disillusionment charm, not as good as an invisibility cloak, but you can still fly with it," Moody said and stepped into the formation.

Tonks launched herself into the air, hovering on Harry's left side and the rest joined her. Harry quickly mounted his own broom. They hovered for a moment before white sparks went off from down the street. They were followed a moment later by green ones and the whole group shot into the air at the same time.

Harry sighed at the feel of the wind rushing over him. They darted through the sky with Moody making directional changes every couple of minutes, while the others circled around Harry. They seemed to be flying endlessly- changing direction with no rhyme or reason, going north for a while, then heading south, then west, over and over. Harry was starting to shiver from the cold and the moisture from the high altitude. They flew over cities and farmland intermittently before finally Lupin yelled to Moody,

"Alastor, I think we've done enough of this, we're never going to get there if we keep back tracking."

"Fine, fine…"Moody grumbled, turning his broom south. It was an hour before they started to descend towards pin pricks of light below them. Harry was relieved as they fell lower into the warmer air currents. He flexed his hands, wishing he had put on his Quidditch gloves.

Finally, Moody changed to a steeper decline taking them towards huge clusters of lights below. Eventually, they flew directly toward a park across the street from a row of stately houses. They all landed with their wands drawn looking around the area. Moody shoved a piece of paper into Harry's hand and growled,

"Memorize that."

Harry opened the paper which read,

_"Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England"_

"What is this?" Harry asked, looking up at Moody who snatched the paper and used his wand to burn it. Moody didn't respond, marching across the street to stand in front of the houses. Harry looked up at the Victorian houses connected together all the way down the block. Harry noticed Moody had stopped right where Number 11 linked to Number 13.

He furrowed his brow, opening his mouth to ask, when a grinding noise broke the still night. The houses moved apart and Number 12 shoved itself between them. Neither the laughing family in Number 11 nor the stereo blasting in Number 13 seemed to notice a thing. The new house front was dark and gloomy compared to the others on the block. It was grey bricks with black window frames and a black door without a knob. The ominous look was complete with a pair of gargoyles sitting at attention over the doorway. As he walked up the steps, Harry swore the gargoyle's eyes followed him.

They stepped up to the door and Lupin waved his wand muttering several spells under his breathe. Clicks of locks and the soft rattle of a chain were coming from behind the knob less door. A wail went up as soon as they stepped into the drab hallway and Harry cringed. A portrait on the wall covered with a rotting velvet curtain was the cause of the alarming noise.

"Shut up! You bloody woman, you're dead give it a rest," a voice from a door off the hall growled. Sirius stepped out into the hallway looking irate at the large portrait on the wall. He turned to Harry breaking into a smile and pulling him into a hug. "Harry! Sorry about that. My mother's portrait is not happy with the use we've made of her house. She feels it's a hostile takeover."

"Your mother?" Harry asked, peering at the portrait of the stern woman. Sirius' mother glared at him, black eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Harry followed Sirius further into the house looking around at the Order Headquarters. The wall paper was yellowed and peeling and dust puffed from the carpet with every step they took.

"Yes, lovely harpy of a woman. And don't mind the house, it hasn't been lived in for seven years and it needs a bit of looking after, but it'll do for now."

"Is this your home? Where you grew up?" Harry asked, looking up at the heads of house elves mounted on the wall like hunting trophies.

"More depressing than Azkaban, they might as well have put me here on house arrest and it would have done the same job. We've been cleaning it out, but my mother must have put some kind of sticking charm on the portrait and the house elf hasn't been taking care of anything since my mother died."

"Oh Harry!" Molly Weasley cried, coming from the same door at the end of the hall that Sirius had come from. She pulled him into a smothering hug. Harry smiled as she tutted over his unruly hair and exclaimed at how thin he was.

"I'm just more muscular, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, trying to escape from her mothering, though he secretly enjoyed the attention.

"More muscular, indeed. Did those Muggles have you lifting rocks all summer?" Molly asked, holding him at arm's length to scrutinize him.

"Hardly, Dudley had to spend all summer at the gym and so by default I did too."

"Well head on upstairs, Ron and Hermione have been going spare waiting for you," Molly said, pointing up the rickety old grand staircase. "Never give any of us a moments peace the whole time we've been here, almost worse than Fred and George. We'll have a proper dinner once the Order meeting is over."

Harry looked back at the Order members all filling into the room Molly had come from earlier. He started to move in that direction. He wanted to know what the meeting was about. Molly gently pushed Harry in the direction of the stairs and gave him a stern look.

"Go on dear, I'm sure there'll be plenty for you to catch up on," Molly said, and then entered the room closing the doors behind her. Harry ground his teeth, but started up the steps.


	5. Family Dinner

A/N: Thanks to my beta. This and the subsequent chapters are going to be QUITE a bit longer than the last couple. I realized a little too late that I needed to increase them and should have created the first four into two.

Disclaimor: HP is owned by J.K. Rowling. I own none of it. And at the end is a footnote for a quote directly from another show and that is how I will handle any references from here on out. Thanks!

Hermione stepped out of her room just as Mrs. Black's shrieking started downstairs. Her heart jumped into her throat and she ran to find Ron. She took the steps two at a time to the third floor. She knocked on Ron's door and then opened it without waiting for him to reply. Ron was playing wizard chess against himself and grumbling.

"Harry's here," Hermione said. Ron stood abruptly, bumping the chess board. The pieces all shrieked and yelled angrily up at him.

"Glad he's finally here, maybe he'll play chess with me," he said, looking at her pointedly. Hermione rolled her eyes and they headed back to the second level. Harry had just reached the top of the steps and Hermione's heart jumped into her throat.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione said, launching herself onto him. As soon as his arms went around her she felt her heart settle back into her chest and tears gathered in her eyes. She'd been terrified that something would happen to him in the months before the Order decided to bring him to Grimmauld.

"How have you been? Are you alright? I'm sure you're furious with us. I know our letters haven't been very helpful. We couldn't tell you anything because Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't. Oh! We have so much to tell you and all that you have to tell us! The Dementors and the training. Everything. When we heard about them and what the Ministry was trying to do… It's just outrageous. They've got no reason to expel you, I found all sorts of cases and laws that show that they have no standing, it's in the decree of Underage Wizarding. There's a provision for use of magic in life threatening situations. It's all Fudges doing I'm sure," Hermione rattled, hiding the emotions swirling inside her. She pulled back and noticed that Harry was smilling at her. She stopped speaking and a light blush spread over her cheeks. Ron stepped forward giving Hermione an annoyed look. He patted Harry on the back.

"Missed you, mate," Ron said, but Hermione noticed a tension in Harry and Ron as they looked at each other. Ron was much taller than Harry now, by about five inches, but Harry's shoulders had gotten wider and Hermione had felt how muscular Harry's arms and back were. Hedwig flew down the steps hooting at Harry. She landed on Harry's shoulder, nibbling gently on his ear. Harry smiled sadly at her, not saying anything to Ron or Hermione.

"We wanted to tell you everything," Ron said, "Hermione was going spare, thinking you might do something, if you didn't know what was going on. It's just that Dumbledore made-"

"Made you swear, yeah, I got it," Harry snapped. He stroked Hedwig and Hermione looked from Harry to Ron biting her lip. The air between the friends grew heavy.

"He seemed to think it was for the best…" Hermione started slowly, watching Harry closely as she spoke. He lifted his eyes to meet hers. Hermione stepped closer to him.

"Didn't help, did it?" Harry said his voice soft and hard. "They still came after me."

"Well, there were supposed to be Order members following you all the time, he was furious when he found out Mundugus had left before the end of his shift," Ron said.

"I'm glad he left, I'm glad I had to do magic so that SOMETHING could happen," Harry growled hotly. Hermione felt like crying seeing Harry upset with them. She had never had Harry look at her with the resentment he was directing at them now. `

"Oh Harry, you were supposed to be safe," Hermione blubbered, the tears brimming. Harry glared at her.

"Were either of you attacked by Dementors this summer?"

"That's not fair," Ron snapped, stepping next to her. Hermione bit harder on her lip, "The reason Hermione's here is because Death Eaters were tailing her."

Harry froze. The red that had covered his face as he yelled at them drained, "What? How come no one said anything?"

"We don't know for sure that's what they were doing, but a couple of wizards who were suspected of being Death Eaters showed up near my parents' home after we got back from holiday. Dumbledore just thought it would be best if I came here," Hermione struggled to keep her voice neutral. The fear crawled into her nightmares still, but she didn't want to let Harry know. "It happened and then I came here and they were still trying to figure out when to bring you here or even if they should, or to just have you guarded until term. And then the Dementors attacked you, so then it wasn't really discussion anymore."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry said softly, looking down at his feet taking several deep breathes. When he looked up, they stood in silence again, but some of the tension had slipped away.

"It's okay. We really are sorry, Harry," Hermione said finally.

"She's right. We wanted to tell you, but we couldn't really say anything after Dumbledore gave this big speech to all of us about how much safer it would be if you didn't know, plus the Order was worried about owls getting intercepted into the wrong hands," Ron said. Hermione could hear the Order members below them, chatting before the meeting started.

"Why didn't he use something other than an owl to give me information? I'm sure there are other ways," Harry said, looking to Hermione who nodded, "Yeah I thought of that. I don't know, Harry. He just said not to send anything and that was it."

"We hardly saw him, he was only here twice, once before Hermione got here, and then to tell us not to tell you anything," Ron said, looking relieved that they were discussing things and that some of the tension had gone out of the air.

"I just don't understand why you two are allowed to know what's going on, but I wasn't allowed to know anything!" Harry's voice grew louder and harder again.

"We haven't!" Ron snapped at Harry, and Hermione jumped in quickly as the two boys stood facing each other.

"We aren't allowed in the meetings Harry, Mrs. Weasley won't let us. We've tried a bunch of different things, and for a while Fred and George were able to use their invention, Extendable Ears, to listen in," Hermione said, putting her hand on his arm lightly. Harry looked down at her hand and didn't speak.

"Mum got wise to it though. She was furious. Fred and George had to hide the entire lot so she wouldn't confiscate them," Ron said, looking warily at Harry. Harry sighed and relaxed again. Hermione exchanged worried glances with Ron. Ron kept fluctuating looking at Harry with annoyance and concern.

"What is this place anyway?" Harry asked, as the anger dropped out of his face.

"Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, they're a special army of sorts. Dumbledore created it back during the first war with You-Know-Who," Ron explained quickly, watching Harry closely.

"Who's all in it?"

"We don't really know for sure," Hermione said. "We've seen about twenty members or so, but we think there's a lot more. The people who are here already are the ones that we've seen. Bill came back from Egypt to work at Gringrotts and to do things for the Order. Bill brought Fleur Delacour in, too. She's working at Gringrotts as well."

"She and Bill have been attached at the lips," Ron said, blushing slightly as he rolled his eyes. Harry didn't even smile. Hermione bit her lip and furrowed her brow.

"Well?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other nervously. Ron cleared his throat, "Well, what?"

"VOLDEMORT!" Harry nearly shouted, his cheeks flushing and his eyes narrowing. Hermione blinked in surprise, she knew Harry would be angry, but she'd never seen her friend so volatile, going from calm to furious in a matter of seconds.

"We told you," Hermione said, plaintively. "We aren't allowed in the meetings, we've only been able to manage to put together scraps of information by listening with the Extendable Ears or overhearing conversations once in a while. No one tells us anything, and they won't answer any of our questions. Ginny's been successful in hiding in the kitchen a couple of times when Order members were discussing things, but as soon as Mrs. Weasley sees any of us we have to leave."

"We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, that's how they found out that they were following Hermione. And some are working on recruiting other members, passing information about Voldemort and his coming back to those who might be friendly towards the Order, and they're always talking about guarding something as well. Going on about shifts, and making sure something is always being watched," Ron quickly filled Harry in.

"Couldn't have been talking about me, could they have?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Oh…" Ron said, turning red and grinning a bit. "I bet you're right."

"What have you two been doing, if you haven't been in meetings?"

"Cleaning out this old place, making it habitable. It's been awful. We have the parlor and the kitchen done, but you wouldn't believe the stuff growing and breeding in here," Hermione said, screwing up her face. "It's been empty for a while and the house elf, Kreacher, well, he's old and he can't really do much."

"More like he just won't," Ron grumbled under his breath.

CRACK! The twins appeared out of thin air, interrupting Hermione's response.

"Stop doing that!" Hermione growled at them after her heart settled down into her chest.

"Would have taken you thirty seconds to walk down here," Ron protested.

"Passed your apparition exam then," Harry said, smiling wryly at the twins while Ron glared at them.

"Hello Harry," the twins responded at the same time.

Hermione watched as Harry smiled and laughed with the Weasley boys. He looked better than she had expected. He looked healthy, though he had dark circles under his eyes. His voice and face were strained. Hermione felt exceedingly sad at the weight on her friend's shoulders.

Mrs. Black's shrieks announced the arrival of the other order members, "TRAITOR! PUREBLOOD HOUSES GOING TRAITOR IN MY HOME! THOUSANDS OF YEARS!"

The group of teens moved to stand along the bannister looking down into the hallway. Snape strode into the house with a furrowed brow and rain drops falling from his cloak turning the dust in the hallway into mud. Molly Weasley stepped out into the hallway and ushered him in.

"Did Snape just arrive?" Ginny asked, bounding down the steps from the third floor with Pig. The small owl's feathers were falling out as his wings beat furiously to keep up with her. "Ron, your bloody owl is driving me insane."

Ron grabbed at Pig, but the owl fluttered just out of his reach. Fred pulled out what looked like flesh colored ear buds and started lowering the end down the banister to get it close to the door of the parlor.

"Our new inventions, Extendable Ears," George said proudly, holding the end towards Harry.

"If you continue to coddle them, they will die," Snape's greasy voice came through the Extendable Ear.

"They're just children," Mrs. Weasley snapped.

Murmurs of various voices followed each of these statements.

"I think Snape's right. I'm sorry Molly, but they aren't just children. They've all been put into horrible situations already. If we don't give them all the information they need and give them a chance to do something with it, well they'll just try and figure it out for themselves," Lupin's voice carried to them.

"Draco Malfoy has already been sent to Hogwarts and has started his training," Snape said.

"What?" Hermione looked at Harry and Ron in confusion.

"That's different," a voice Hermione couldn't place spoke, "he was in danger. Harry and the others have Order members watching them closing. They don't need to go to Hogwarts early. If anything I would say that we should move the Lovegood girl and the Longbottom boy here as well."

"What have Luna and Neville got to do with anything?" Ginny whispered, and the group jumped as the door to the parlor opened and Mrs. Weasley bustled out. George reeled the Extendable Ear back as fast as possible. He pocketed it just as Mrs. Weasley looked up at them.

"Go, now!" Molly shooed them and they all turned away from the bannister. Hermione motioned them into her and Ginny's shared room. Fred and George hurried up to their own room conversing together about the Extendable Ear.

Hermione closed the door behind the others and they all sat in contemplation. Ginny was the first to speak, "I didn't think anything of it at the time, but Mum and Dad were arguing about Neville and Luna before. If they were being targeted, the Order would bring them here, wouldn't they?"

"Well, they didn't bring Harry until after it was almost too late," Ron said, picking at his pants.

"Oh Ronald," Hermione said, putting her hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry clenched his jaw. Ron looked up in confusion then looked sheepishly at Harry.

"Sorry."

Ginny growled in frustration, "I'm so sick of being kept out of the loop. So sick of being treated like a child, we can handle it. She's just been on the warpath because of Percy."

"What happened with Percy?" Harry asked Ginny.

"He became an assistant to the Minister. Strange thing to do with someone who was a lackey only last year, but, well… He's taken Fugde's side against you and told Mum and Dad that they would be crazy to support you. Dad thinks that Fudge is using him to get to the Order and to Dumbledore. They had a horrible row, fought about what the prophet has been saying about you and Dumbledore and what an idiot Fudge is. Percy won't speak to any of us anymore."

"What has the Ministry been saying about me?" Harry asked his brow furrowing.

Hermione shared a look with Ginny and Ron, "Haven't…Haven't you been reading the Daily Prophet?"

"Well, yeah, but I figured if anything about Voldemort was in it, they'd put it on the first page. I scanned through some things, but there wasn't anything about me."

Hermione bit her lip again, "Well… it's not obvious, per se. It's just… well they make comments about how you're off you're off your rocker, or that you're just trying to get attention. They just throw it in during other stories. I'm sure it's because of Fudge. He's got a lot of pull in the Daily Prophet. He's worried that Dumbledore wants to be Minister."

"Which is codswallop if you ask me," Ron said, his face disgusted. "One of the things Percy told Dad, Dad went nuts telling Percy that Fudge is just using him and that if Dumbledore had wanted to be Minister Fudge would still be working as an assistant. Percy went nuts. Told Dad that the only reason our family is poor is because he didn't have any ambition or drive. Said that Dad's reputation is the reason Percy wouldn't be able to get jobs."

"He's been a right prick to everyone," Ginny said, screwing up her face. "He's living in London and Mum tried to go see him a couple of weeks ago and he slammed the door in her face. I don't even know what he does if he sees Dad at work."

The twins Apparated into the bedroom making them all jump again. Harry looked at them in annoyance along with the rest of them.

"Well that's old now," Harry said, shaking his head at them. Hermione groaned, "It was old a week ago. They keep at it, even when they know we all hate it."

"Jealous?" Fred asked, smiling brightly at Hermione.

Hermione chose to ignore him, "What do you lot want?"

"Mum says dinner's ready," George said, then he Apparated away. Fred smiled cheerily and did the same. They all stood and went down to the kitchen. Hermione had a spark of an idea in her head as they descended the stairs. Maybe the group of them could start their own training and meetings, until they were included into the Order. She mulled over the idea of training for battle in her mind. She supposed it would be easy enough to look up some techniques and some more spells. She'd already been studying some of the Dark Arts books they had found in the library. She knew Ginny was frustrated and would jump at the chance to be involved, so would the twins. She'd just have to convince Harry.

"Sit, sit," Molly called to them as they stepped into the dark kitchen. They had been cleaning for weeks and this was the only room that seemed to have gotten any better. The copper pots and pans hanging over the island were shiny and clean. The black and white tiles on the floor were discernable again and the acrid smell that had permeated from under the sink had dissipated with several heavy duty cleaning spells from Molly.

"You should have seen it in here," Ron was telling Harry as the three of them sat down on the left side of the table. "It was revolting."

"Oh Ron, you hardly did anything in here. Hermione and I could barely move our arms after scrubbing all the cooking things," Ginny added sitting across from Hermione at the battered table.

"Who's all here still?" Harry asked, looking at the thirteen places set out.

"Well us, Lupin, Sirius, Tonks, sometimes Mundungus stays," Hermione said, "Bill's here, and then Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the twins."

"Do you ever feel like we're only one person?" Fred asked George, taking his seat next to Ginny.

"All the time," George responded, sitting down next to his brother.

"You are always in the same place at the same time," Ginny pointed out to them.

"Well," Fred said trying to suppress a smile as he looked at George who had arched an eyebrow at him, "not all the time. I don't think Angelina would appreciate that much would she, George?"

Hermione held her breath as Mrs. Weasley wheeled around to look at George who had started to blush.

"You and Angelina Johnson?" Ron asked incredulously. "Why am I the last to know these things?"

Bill and Arthur Weasley entered the room talking in low tones to each other as they took seats at the table. Hermione perked her ears to listen to the conversation they were having as Fred and Ron teased George about dating Angelina.

"Snape's right, you know. Harry and Malfoy are the only ones who have any clue they need to be aware of what's going on, the rest of them are oblivious," Bill said, quietly as the two Weasley men pulled out their chairs. Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat and they both looked up to notice Hermione listening to them.

"Sorry, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, smiling sheepishly at his wife. "Oh! Hello, Harry!"

"Moody didn't make you come by way of Greenland, then?" Bill asked smiling wryly at Harry as well.

"Very nearly," Tonks said, entering the room with Lupin coming right behind her. She took the seat on the other side of Ginny. "Can I help with anything, Molly?"

"No!" Mrs. Weasley said quickly and then looked horrified at her own manners. "I mean, it's all done dear, no need for any help. Here we are."

Mrs. Weasley floated several covered dishes and pitchers of butter beer and a flagon of wine onto the table, and then with another flick of her wand filled all their glasses. Sirius took the seat at the head of the table next to Harry,

"How's the summer been so far?"

"Oh, not bad… Other than no information about anything, not knowing what was going on with all of you being so secretive and the Dementors, of course," Harry said sarcastically. Sirius chuckled and shrugged.

"Don't know what you're complaining about, I would have welcomed some action."

Harry looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"I've been locked up here for the past month. The Ministry is still after me and Voldemort will know about me being an animagus, Wormtail will have told him by now. Remus and Arthur feel it's not worth me risking it by going outside."

"Oh," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Personally, I would have loved to be in a fight for my life, instead I've been stuck in here fighting cobwebs and my mothers' portrait. Not much use to the Order I'm afraid, and I get to listen to Snape go on about how he's been risking his life while I've been playing maid," Sirius said wistfully.

"You've been incredibly helpful to me getting this house together and don't let Severus make you feel badly about it. It's been a very difficult job and it has to be done, especially with Kreacher, being…well, so strange nowadays," Molly said, bustling more plates laden with food onto the table. Sirius sat huffily in his chair. Hermione was always amazed at how quickly Molly was able to put together a fantastic looking dinner. Her own mother was not domestic at all and though Hermione prided herself on working to excel at things she had yet to do anything worthwhile in the kitchen. Hermione noticed Mundungus had entered and seated himself next to Bill, but he was staring at the plate in front of him squinting with one eye then the other at it.

"Are these real silver, Sirius?" Mundungus asked over the din of all the other conversations.

"Yes, finest fifteenth century goblin wrought silver with the Black family crest emblazoned on all of it," Sirius said looking down at his own plate.

"That would come off though," Mundungus said in a low voice, picking up his goblet up to study it more carefully. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. She understood that Mundungus was useful in his way, but she always felt uneasy with him in the house. She was fairly certain he was the one who had walked away with the book she had been reading the other day. It had a gold gilded cover and was a history of all the ancient pureblood families. She had put it on the shelf in the library and the day after Mundungus had been there, it was gone.

"Let's tuck in everyone," Mrs. Weasley said, putting the last couple of dishes on the table. The only sounds were from people gathering food onto their plates and filling their cups.

"George!" Mrs. Weasley yelled at her son, he had tried to use his wand to move the bread on the bread board down to him and Fred. The bread flew past the twins and nearly hit Ginny and Tonks who both ducked out of the way. The board then boomeranged back towards the twins. "You do not need to be doing magic for EVERYTHING!"

"Your mother is right boys," Mr. Weasley said, giving the twins pointed looks as they put away their wands. "You want to be treated like adults; you need to start acting like adults."

"Your brothers never caused this amount of trouble like this, Bill and Charlie. Especially not Percy…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off, stricken. She glanced nervously to Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley's face was wooden and his eyes looked sad. Silence filled the room as everyone started to eat.

"This is fantastic, Molly," Tonks said, taking another bite of the pot roast.

"As usual," Bill said, smiling brightly at his mother. Everyone agreed and Mrs. Weasley looked pleased with herself. Tonks had started her usual dinner activity of entertaining them with changing her nose in between bites of food. She started by screwing up her face and elongating her nose into the hook of Professor Snape, then into Ginny's own small ski jump nose. Hermione turned to Harry laughing and noticed his shock.

"How do you do that?"

"Oh, I'm a metamorphmagus. I can change my appearance at will," Tonks said, screwing up her face until her hair grew out into soft brunette curls.

"I wish my hair would look like that," Hermione said, tugging at her own unruly curls.

"Can I learn to do that?" Harry asked wistfully, as Ron gave Hermione a disapproving look.

"They're born, not made. It's been dead useful though, you can use spells to change your appearance or how people perceive you, but because I'm a metamorphmagus I was able to get top marks in concealment at the academy," Tonks explained.

"Do the pig one," Ginny requested leaning on her elbow to watch Tonks. Tonks hair grew shorter and became blonde then her nose changed to a pigs snout. Ginny squealed with laughter.

"I can't decide if they even think he's back or not," Bill said to Mr. Weasley and Lupin in a low voice on Hermione's other side. She tried not to look as she tried to listen to their conversation over the din of the others. "I suppose they could just want to stay out of it."

"Well they won't join Voldemort," Mr. Weasley said, settling back in his seat, "They've suffered losses, too. You-Know-Who murdered a goblin family near Nottingham last time. Dreadful business that was."

"Yes," Lupin responded, "I suppose it will all depend on what we can offer them this time though. I don't mean gold, but rather rights we've been denying them for centuries. Have you still not had any luck with Ragnut, Bill?"

"He's feeling pretty anti-wizard at the moment. He hasn't stopped raging about the Bagman business. They never got their gold from him, you know."

"I've been meaning to tell you Sirius, there's been something banging about in the writing desk in the upstairs study. It could just be a Boggart, but I thought we might have Alastor look at it, just the same," Mrs. Weasley said, looking down the table. Sirius was poking at his plate in contemplation, looked up distractedly.

"Oh, yes, yes. Whatever you like Molly."

"The curtains in the drawing room are full of Doxies, too," continued Mrs. Weasley, though she was looking worriedly at Sirius. "I thought we might try to get that taken care of next."

"I look forward to it," Sirius said flatly.

"Hermione, help me bring out the dessert won't you?" Mrs. Weasley asked smiling at her conspiratorially.

"Oh, right," Hermione said, feeling a rush of anxiety and excitement.

Mrs. Weasley led the way to the ice box and pulled out a round cake. She rummaged in the drawers until she pulled out a package of candles which she and Hermione placed around the edge of the cake. Hermione looked affectionately at the confection that they had made. She picked it up gently and walked back towards the table where Ron was telling Harry some story using large hand gestures and making faces. Harry and the twins were laughing hysterically at the story when the twins noticed Hermione and the cake and they started to sing. The rest of the table joined in and Harry looked around in confusion. When his eyes landed on her, Hermione's heart jumped again. She ignored it and, bending around Harry, set the cake in front of him. Harry beamed at her and then the rest of the table.

"Make a wish," Ginny said, clapping her hands happily. Harry closed his eyes took a deep breathe then blew all the candles out.

"What did you wish for, Harry?" Fred asked, with wagging eyebrows.

"It won't come true if he tells you," Ginny admonished her brother.

Harry moved to the side and Hermione sliced the cake into pieces as Mrs. Weasley brought out the desert plates and started passing it out to the rest of the table. After everyone had a piece, there was again silence.

"Merlin this is good," Ron said, looking up at Hermione in surprise. She flushed with pride, but just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why the tone of surprise, Ronald?"

"It really is. Did you make this?" Harry said, smiling at her again.

"Ginny and I did," Hermione said, noticing that Ginny had started to look annoyed that her own work wasn't being recognized.

"What is in this? You two could start a bakery," Fred said, reaching across the table to help himself to another piece, unaware of Mrs. Weasley's disapproving stare.

"Chocolate cake, which is the part I did," Hermione said pointing to the bottom and top layer of the cake, "and then the middle part is a vanilla pudding filling that Ginny came up with. And the outside is vanilla buttercream that I dyed gold. And then Ginny did the lettering and I made the snitch."

"I wish I could eat this cake and nothing else for the rest of my life," George said, sitting back in his chair with pure pleasure over his face.

"Enough with the hyperbole, George," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head. (1)

"No really, Gin. I mean, no one beats Mum's custard tart," George said, looking at his mother with a bright smile, "but this is great."

As everyone sat content and tired after finishing their pieces (or three) of cake, the conversation came to a stop. Tonks yawned loudly as she and Ginny threw pieces of left over pork down to Crookshanks who had settled himself below them.

"Time for bed, I think," Mrs. Weasley said, yawning as well as she gathered up the dishes and started putting them into the large sink.

"Hold on Harry," Sirius said, putting his hand on Harry's arm as all the teens stood. Hermione slowly picked up plates and utensils bringing them into the kitchen. Ginny followed suite, keeping her head down, but listening intently. "I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you would do when you got here was to start asking questions about Voldemort."

"I did," Harry said, indignantly ignoring Ron and Mrs. Weasley's sharp intake of breath, "I asked Ron and Hermione, but they said we're not allowed in the order."

"Too right," cried Mrs. Weasley. "You are much too young."

"He has a right to know. He's got more right than most. Look what he's done. He's not a child!" Sirius replied as he and Mrs. Weasley stared daggers at each other. She slammed the platter she had been picking up, back down on the table. Everyone was quiet. The twins were trying to look inconspicuous.

"He's not an adult either, Sirius," Mrs. Weasley said with exasperation. "He's not an order member, and he's not James."

"I know that," Sirius said, waving his hand at her.

"I don't think you do!" Molly cried, she cast around to the other adults sitting at the table. Mr. Weasley was staring at Mrs. Weasley and Sirius in turn. He licked his lips and cleared his throat. Mrs. Weasley turned to Sirius, looking triumphant.

"I think," Mr. Weasley said slowly, "that there are certain pieces of information that would be important for the children to know…"

Mr. Weasley trailed off as his wife swung back around to glare at him, "CHILDREN, whom we are responsible for do not need to know things that could get them killed."

"We aren't children!" Hermione shouted, stepping forward and slamming the plate in her hand on the floor. It smashed to the floor and clattered about for a moment as Hermione breathed heavily. The blood had rushed to her temples and she felt lightheaded in her frustration. "We haven't been told things in the past and we've still managed to get in scrapes. I'm not saying we have to know all the Order's business, but we're not stupid. And another thing, you may not want to protect us, but You-Know-Who wants us for some reason, and if he does who's to say you'll get there to stop it, before he does? We can't' be protected all the time!"

Hermione's voice ringed through the kitchen and she was almost in tears as she stared at Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley turned red, white, and then collapsed into her chair.

"We have to protect you," Mrs. Weasley said finally, her voice cracking. "You don't know what he's capable of. You don't know what he's done to families. We must protect you."

"Molly," Lupin said softly, "we will protect them. We'll do everything possible. But there's something's that they'll need to do on their own and if we can prepare them, well, that's just as good as us being there to protect them. I think Harry should have a say."

Mrs. Weasley didn't speak; she simply turned her eyes to Harry. Harry stared back at Mrs. Weasley trying to look sympathetic. He opened his mouth and then closed it. He turned to Sirius and nodded.

"I just want to say this," Mrs. Weasley cried, taking a shaky breath. "I think that Dumbledore didn't want Harry to know things for a reason and I think we should abide by that. Dumbledore just has Harry's best interests at heart, as should we."

"Are you saying I don't?" Sirius asked narrowing his eyes.

"No, but sometimes I think you want to believe he's James and that he's your best friend, but he's not. He's Harry and he's a child and you have to look out for him."

"He isn't your son, Molly."

"He's as good as!" Molly cried. "Who else has he got?"

"Molly, you aren't the only one who wants what's best for Harry," Lupin jumped in and turned to Harry. "Harry?"

"Ginny! Hermione! Fred, George, and Ron, you are to get out of here right this instance!" Mrs. Weasley said standing up again and her face boiling in anger.

Hermione moved back to the table and sat herself down next to Harry again. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared at Mrs. Weasley with a determined expression. Ginny strode forward and Hermione thought she looked remarkably like her mother in that moment. Her lips were pursed and she narrowed her eyes at her mother.

"We aren't going," Ginny's voice came out strong and clear. She looked ferocious, yet so calm that Hermione was amazed by her for a moment.

"What did you say?" Mrs. Weasley asked, hands going to her hips and her own eyes narrowing at Ginny.

"I know that it's not just about Harry, all these things you've been keeping secret. It's about Hermione, Ron, Malfoy, Neville, Luna, and I as well. So, I'm not going anywhere," Ginny finished, she didn't back down from her mother's shaking figure. Hermione had never heard any of the Weasley children speak to Mrs. Weasley like Ginny was now. Ron, Fred, and George were all looking between the two women with morbid curiosity, but kept making nervous moves as if ready to flee. No one else moved or spoke.

Mrs. Weasley collapsed onto the floor in a fit of tears. Ginny blinked opening and closing her mouth much like a fish. The rest of the room suddenly became animated, like someone had hit play. Mr. Weasley fell to the floor with her wrapping his arms around her, Mundungus pulled out a dirty handkerchief and handed it to her, and Harry stood up to reaching towards Mrs. Weasley then dropping his hand.

"Come Molly, please, into the room. Come on then, we'll discuss this later," Mr. Weasley said, giving a pointed look at Sirius as he helped his wife off the floor. They shuffled out the floor with Mrs. Weasley heaving huge breaths. After the sounds of weeping died away, Hermione turned to look at Ginny who seemed ready to burst into tears to boot. Tonks put her hand on Ginny's shoulder and patted her. Lupin waved his wand and the dishes flew into the sink.

"Bed, everyone. We'll talk about this later," Lupin said, and they all stood walking up the stairs. Tromping up the stairs they could hear the muffled sounds of Mrs. Weasley's sobs and the low voice of Mr. Weasley trying to comfort her. Ginny didn't speak to Hermione as they got ready for bed. As they laid down in the dark, Ginny's finally spoke,

"I don't regret it. She needs to understand that this isn't some silly thing. This is war."

Hermione didn't respond, she just rolled over and closed her eyes. She felt bad for Mrs. Weasley, but she agreed with Ginny.

(1) "Enough with the hyperbole" -B:tVS "The Witch"

(2) Anything that is recognizable comes directly from OotP (which will continue for the next couple of chapters until it diverges.


	6. Most Noble and Ancient House of Black

A/N: Next chapter moves us into the changed timeline. Thanks to Stephanie for being my awesome beta. As always please read and review!

Harry woke the next morning to the sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice calling to Fred and George down the hall. He tried to catch the vague pieces left from his dream. He'd been in the graveyard again, standing on a hill above it. The sky lit up with lightening and he saw Ron and Hermione fighting down near Tom Riddle Senior's grave and then he had seen Ginny. Ginny wielding a broadsword so big it dwarfed her slight frame. She'd smiled at him ruthlessly and rushed into the fray, her red hair flying behind her like a cape.

"Wake up, boys. Breakfast in the kitchen, come on," Mrs. Weasley yelled through their door, wrapping her knuckles sharply on the thick wood.

Ron rolled over with a groan, sitting up, and looking over at Harry in his bed. Harry blinked, the dream sliding further away from him.

"I'm never going to clean anything the rest of my life after this. All I want is to have enough money to get a house -elf," Ron said, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed.

Harry looked up at the ceiling. The room looked worse with daylight trying to stream in through the dirty window. The large wardrobe in the corner had a door hanging by one hinge and the curtains around their beds were clean, but frayed with moth holes.

"Don't let Hermione hear you say that."

When he and Ron descended into the kitchen, Ginny and Hermione were the only ones there discussing the next school year. There were two bowls set out with porridge, a platter of bacon in the middle of the table, and a pitcher of pumpkin juice. Harry sat down half-listening.

"I expect this next year is going to be really difficult," Hermione said to Ginny. "I mean we have O.W.L.s this year and I'm trying to decide what I'll do sixth year because, really now is the time that we need to decide what we'll be studying for the next two years."

He choked slightly on the food in his mouth. He might not be deciding what classes he needed take after this year, he wouldn't be taking the O.W.L.s or having career counseling. Ginny glanced nervously at him. Harry could tell that Hermione had looked towards him as well, but he avoided her eyes, instead looking into the bowl.

"Harry, there's nothing to worry about. They can't expel you," Hermione said, firmly.

"Right," Harry said, but he wished he felt as optimistic as Hermione.

"When you two are finished, Mum wants us up in the drawing room for cleaning," Ginny said, taking a drink of her pumpkin juice. She flicked her tongue out and licked the drop left on her lips. Harry blinked; feeling like his stomach had just been punched. The image of her ruthless smile and her charging down the hill filtered back into his mind. Lucky for him, Ron shoveled porridge and three strips of bacon into his mouth at the same time giving Harry a welcome distraction from thinking about Ginny's tongue and lips. Ron's cheeks were bulging out, packed tightly. He reminded Harry of a squirrel gathering his food for winter. Hermione and Ginny were looking at him with disgust.

"Have you seen this yet?" Hermione asked, deciding to ignore Ron's eating habits, moving the _Daily Prophet_ across the table to Harry. A giant picture of the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and a squat woman smiling manically behind him filled the front page. The headline read, "Cornelius Fudge removes Albus Dumbledore's Order of Merlin First Class".

"Can he do that?" Harry asked, poring over the article.

"They can do what they want," Ginny said snarling at the smiling Fudge. "They've turned Dumbledore into a laughing stock. They've been saying he's beyond his prime and he's going batty."

"It's subtle. They've been discrediting him for weeks, very slowly," Hermione said, picking up the bowls and carrying them to the sink. Harry followed her, unable to eat any more. Hermione was concentrating on scrubbing the bits of left over oatmeal stuck to the edge of the bowl. He was panicking, but he kept shoving the feelings down.

"I know you're worried," Hermione murmured, passing him her washed bowl and taking his from his hands. "They won't let you get expelled."

Harry rinsed the suds off the dish and placed it on the drying rack, "If the _Prophet_ has been making fun of me and Fudge wants to discredit me, there's a better chance of it. I'd live here if I did get expelled."

Hermione handed him the second bowl and looked at him closely, "I'll come with you. Represent you, if you want."

Harry smiled at her, "Well then I'd get off for sure. No one could argue with you."

"Oh Harry. I'm going to go and help Mrs. Weasley. You two should get up there soon, too," Hermione said briskly, but smiled back at him. Harry watched her go and shook his head. Ron stood up, grabbed his bowl and tossed them into the sink with a clatter. Harry frowned at his friend, but Ron wouldn't meet his eye. Harry followed him as he stomped out of the kitchen.

"Something wrong?" Harry whispered, catching up to him on the first floor hall next to Mrs. Black's portrait. Ron looked at him and shrugged. The tension between them kept until they walked through the big mahogany doors of the drawing room. Fred and George stood next to the curtains with aerosol cans held out in front of them and handkerchiefs covering their nose and mouth. Harry watched as a small winged creature covered in black hair shot out of the curtain right at Fred's face. A steady stream came out of the can and the creature fell straight down onto the floor. The wings were shiny and the ears were pointy. The enraged face frozen.

"Doxies," George said, seeing Harry's curious face. "They're nasty biters and poisonous, so watch out for that."

"Here you go, Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley said, handing him an aerosol can of 'Doxy Demise' and a small handkerchief. Hermione and Ginny were on all fours on the floor next to an antique fainting couch. Ginny held a broom and was putting on her dragon hide gloves. Hermione already had her hands gloved and was holding a laundry bag.

"Alright," Ginny said, looking warily at the space under the couch. She poked with her broom, holding tight, as something under the couch took hold of the end she had poked it with and started wrestling her for the broom. Ginny narrowed her eyes and gave the broom a hard pull. The creature chewing on the end of the broom was the size of a ceramic garden gnome with eyes three times too big for his head. Hermione grabbed him by the foot and threw him in the bag. The gnome yelled threats at them as it wriggled and tossed about.

"Kobalos(1)," Hermione said, holding the gnome away from her body. "They're trickster gnomes that can shape shift. Lupin is going to take him later, but he's been biting our ankles any time anyone sits down on a couch."

The bag shook violently and a hissing came from it. Hermione held it further away from her body and put it into a trunk near the door. Harry could hear the snake complaining,

"Let me out and I'll bite you."

Ginny stood up and took off her dragon hide gloves, "I thought it was a cat when we first got here. I tried to tame it, and then it changed. Damn thing tried to chew off my finger."

"Right then, Harry," Fred said, and motioned to the buzzing beehive in the curtains. Harry put the handkerchief over his mouth and nose and stepped next to Ron, cans up and waiting. George and Fred started to spray and Harry and Ron followed suit. The small black pixies flew out of the curtains enraged and then fell to the floor. Harry turned his can this way and that, avoiding hitting Ron with the stream of liquid.

An hour later, Harry helped pick up the petrified fairies, throwing them into the bucket Mrs. Weasley had set on the floor. George looked sideways at Mrs. Weasley . She was helping Hermione and Ginny pull books off a shelf and put them into boxes. Fred held out a small Tupperware container with holes pocked into the top. George placed the Doxy inside it and Fred put it under couch cushions.

"We want to experiment with Doxy venom for our Skiving Snackboxes," Fred explained, his voice low and his eyes darting to Mrs. Weasley's figure bustling on the other side of the room.

"What are Skiving Snackboxes?" Harry asked, picking up three more Doxies and throwing them into the bucket.

"Range of sweets to make you ill, one end gets you sick and then, after you've gotten out of class, the other end makes you better again so you can enjoy a leisure hour instead of unprofitable boredom," George explained under his breath. "Fred and I have been developing them this summer."

"We've been making adverts for them," Fred continued, Ron cleared his throat loudly and they stopped talking as Mrs. Weasley walked over to examine their progress.

"They still need a bit of work," Fred said, putting another three more Doxies into the container after Mrs. Weasley walked away. "At the moment our testers are having a problem stopping the puking long enough to swallow the other end."

"Testers?"

"Us," George hissed, "We've been taking turns. Fred did the Fainting Fancies; we both did the Noseblud Nugget. Mum thought we had been dueling. "

"Joke shop still on then?" Harry asked looking at Ron who had moved further away and was clearing up Doxies that had fallen under the window.

"We haven't been able to get premises as of yet," Fred said. "We've been running it as a mail order service. We put advertisements in the _Daily Prophet_ last week. All thanks to you mate. Mum hasn't got a clue; she won't read the Prophet because of it telling lies about you and Dumbledore."

Harry grinned; he felt a flood of warmth in his stomach. He was happy that his prize money was facilitating Fred and George's dream of a joke shop. On the other hand he also didn't think he could handle Mrs. Weasley's wrath if she found that he was helping the twins.

The boys finally finished cleaning out the emerald green curtains. The room seemed hushed now that the buzzing of the Doxies and the sound of the aerosol cans had stopped. Fred and George gathered the left over parts and the dead Doxies from behind the curtains into the trash bags. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione had cleared and dusted the book case and Mrs. Weasley was sorting through the books before handing them to Ginny to be put back on the shelves. Ron had been directed to start scrubbing the filthy, sooty fireplace.

"This looks interesting," Ginny said, holding a large leather bound tome in her hands. Ron looked up from his spot on the hearth, half inside the large fireplace. Ginny turned the book so he could see it.

"_Demons, Demons, Demons_. What a name," Ron said, wiping his hands on his trousers. (2)

"It's a book about demons what would you call it?" Ginny asked, placing the book onto the shelf. Ron laughed, sticking his head back into the grate. The door bell rang and Ron jerked his head back, slamming it into the top of the hearth.

"Bloody Hell! That. Hurt." Ron gasped grabbing the back of his head.

"You all stay here," Mrs. Weasley said, heading into the hall, dusting her hands off on her apron. They all rushed to look out the window onto the street. A squat man with thinning rust colored hair stood with his back to them, pile of cauldrons in his arms.

"Mundungus," Fred said, as the door flew open and everyone rushed across the room, shoving each other for a spot to press their ear.

"What are those?" Sirius' gruff voice asked.

"Some products I happened to acquire in my work for the Order," Mundungus wheezed. They all stepped back as Mrs. Weasley's voice exploded in the hallway, followed by the howls of Mrs. Black.*

"WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HALF WAY HOUSE FOR STOLEN GOODS!"*

"Molly, please, I just need…"

"HALF-BLOODS! TRAITORS! DEFILERS!"

The cacophony of sound in the hallway made it difficult to hear who was saying what. Fred and George moved closer to the door listening with grimaces on their faces.

"I love when she yells at someone else," Fred said, smiling down at the rest of them pressed to the bottom of the door.*

"How can you be so irresponsible? As if there aren't enough things going wrong!" Mrs. Weasley's voice exploded through the others.

"The idiots are letting her get into her stride. You have to cut her off before she builds up a head of steam," George grumbled. "And she's been dying to have a go at Mundungus since he skived off watching Harry."*

They all stepped back as the door opened suddenly, admitting a house elf. Harry had never seen such an emaciated creature, his ears ragged and large scar across his cheek. The rags he wore hung limp from his body, stained and worn, just like the rest of the house. He was mumbling to himself about blood traitors and half-breeds.

"Poor mistress… if she knew… if she knew…"

"Hello Kreacher," George said loudly. Kreacher turned his big eyes on George in fake surprise. He bowed exaggeratedly at the twins who shook their heads at the elf. He roamed about the room looking curiously at the bucket of doxies and the clean bookshelf. He stopped at the pile of books that Mrs. Weasley had set aside for Lupin to go through and sniffled.

"My poor mistress, so glad she can't see the state of her home… Kreacher wouldn't have let them in if it weren't for my poor mistress' rotten son. Rotten murderer, rotten thieves, blood traitors and Mudbloods," the elf said, as he continued roaming about the room, ignoring them completely. Harry looked at Hermione and Ron in confusion.*

"Don't call her that," Ron and Ginny said together.* Both of them glared at the house-elf. Kreacher disregarded them and peered under the fainting couch that Ginny and Hermione had pulled the Kobalos out from.

"Just ignore him," Hermione said with a wave of her hand. "He doesn't know what he's saying."*

"Damned if he doesn't," Ron grumbled. "And I don't know what he's been doing here all these years by himself. This place is a disaster."*

"He shouldn't be expected to clean!" Hermione growled back at him and Ron turned to her.*

"That's what he's supposed to do Hermione! That's his JOB!"*

Sirius stepped into the room with a bag in his hand. Kreacher bowed low to him and then looked up at Sirius with contempt. *

"I've just been upstairs feeding Buckbeak rats," Sirius said, setting down the bag of rats on the floor. "Kreacher what are you doing in here?"*

"Kreacher is cleaning, master," the elf simpered.*

"A likely story," Sirius grumbled. "Probably spiriting away my mother's things again. Get out of here and do something useful."*

"Yes, master," Kreacher said, sidling away through the door, muttering the entire time.

"Sirius, he's not right in the head. I don't think he realizes we can hear him," Hermione said, but Harry could tell this was an argument Hermione and Sirius had on a regular basis. "We should be nicer to him."*

"He's been alone too long, taking mad orders from my mother's picture," Sirius explained to Harry, ignoring Hermione's pleas. "We can't set him free because he knows about the order. Plus I think the shock might kill him."*

"You could at least treat him with a little respect," Hermione continued and Sirius tried hard not to roll his eyes. Harry turned away from the pair, hiding a snigger. On the wall behind him was a dark green tapestry with names stitched onto a tree with silver thread, a coat of arms and French writing at the top-"Toujours Pur".* It was the only thing in the room that looked clean and hadn't been gnawed on by Doxies.

"You aren't on here," Harry said, looking over at Sirius after he had searched the most recent names. Sirius chuckled and pointed to an empty branch.*

"I was right here. It's got magic in it- the only reason it looks the way it does still. When you're disowned, or not accepted into the family, your name disappears form the tree," Sirius said, his fingers moving over the names. He moved his hand to the bottom. "I used to be there. My mother disowned me after I ran away from home. Kreacher loves telling the story of how she invoked the magic to get rid of my name."*

"Where did you go?"*

"Your grandparents took me in, basically treated me as a second son. Wonderful people Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Sirius said, looking nostalgic. "When I was seventeen, I got a place of my own with my inheritance from my uncle Alphard. Oh, he's been removed as well. Probably because of what he left me. I was always welcome at the Potter's house for Sunday dinner though."*

"But why did you…"

"Leave?" Sirius interrupted him with a short bark of laughter, turning from the tapestry to look at Harry. "Because I hated the whole lot of them. My parent's believed in pureblood supremacy, convinced that to be any thing worth while in the wizarding world you had to have a family that dated back as far as our own. Basically they thought that being a Black made you practically royal. My idiot brother joined up with Voldemort and became a Death Eater, you know."*

Sirius pointed at the space next to where his own name should have been. Regulus Adolphus Black's name glinted off the tapestry with a death dating about fifteen years prior.*

"He was younger than me. And a better son, my mother always said. I bet my parents thought he was a right little hero, but Regulus was murdered by Voldemort, or rather someone on Voldemort's side. From what I heard, he got cold feet when he realized the depths that Voldemort was willing to go for power. And you don't just stop being a Death Eater. You either are or you're dead."*

Mrs. Weasley bustled in with a tray of sandwiches and another bucket of cleaning supplies. She set the tray down on the table next to the couch and then put the bucket next to the windows they had cleared of Doxies. While the teens all grabbed for a sandwich, Mrs. Weasley used her wand to pull the curtains down and the sunlight that burst into the room made Harry blink.

"I haven't looked at this in years," Sirius said, still glaring at the tapestry. Harry moved back to stand near him again, eating his sandwich as Sirius pointed out names. "Phineas Nigelus, most hated headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. And my mother's cousin, Araminta Meliflua, she tried to force through a Ministry bill to make Muggle-hunting legal. My dear aunt Elladora, she started the tradition of beheading house-elves when they became too old to carry the tea trays."*

"That's horrible!" Hermione gasped, coming up behind Harry. Sirius shrugged.

"Any time the family produced someone who was half decent they were disowned. Or not acknowledged. I see Tonks isn't on here, maybe that's why Kreecher won't take orders from her. He's supposed to do anything anyone in the family asks of him."*

"You and Tonks are related?" Harry asked in confusion but Hermione looked nonplussed.

"Her mother is my cousin," Sirius said. He was watching as Hermione moved along the branches with her finger to where Tonk's should have been. "Andromeda was my favorite; she's been removed because she married a Muggleborn. Her sisters are still here because they made respectable pureblood marriages."

Harry saw the empty space that Hermione's finger had landed on between two names. Bellatrix and Narcissa Black. Narcissa's name was connected with a silver thread to Lucius Malfoy and under their names -Draco Malfoy.

"I didn't know you were related to the Malfoys."

"Most of the old wizarding families are," Hermione said, studying the tapestry more closely.

Sirius nodded back at Harry, "If you're only going to let your sons and daughters marry purebloods the choices are limited. Even more so when you think of the Malfoy and Black families standards. My parents wouldn't approve of someone who wasn't at least seventh generation or more. There are hardly any wizards and witches left like that."*

"I was reading about the pureblood families," Hermione joined in, she was squinting her eyes at some of the older names higher on the tree. "The Weasley's and Prewett's should be on here shouldn't they?"*

"They would have been," Sirius nodded, "Molly is my cousin by marriage and Arthur is something like my second cousin once removed, but you won't find them on there. Maybe a Prewett or two further back but the Weasley's have always been viewed as blood traitors."*

"Rudolphus Lestrange," Harry murmured, something was tugging in his brain.*

"They're in Azkaban," Sirius said, lowering his voice. "They came in with Barty Crouch Jr. Rudolphus' brother Rebastan was with them, too."*

The memory of where he had heard the name before rushed back to Harry, he'd been in the memory in Dumbledore's pensieve. Bellatrix Lestrange had been the heavily lidded woman who had proclaimed her allegiance to the Dark Lord even after his downfall. Harry shuddered at the memory of her conviction that she would be rewarded for her loyalty and that the wizarding world would once again tremble before Lord Voldemort.

"I caught a glimpse of her when they brought her into Azkaban," Sirius said hollowly. "She wasn't like that when she was younger. She was all about blood purity, but the woman they brought into the prison was nothing like what my cousin had been. I don't like being back here I never thought I would be stuck in this house again."*

Harry nodded, understanding how he would feel if he had to return to Privet Drive after he was an adult. He shuddered at the possibility.*

"It's perfect for headquarters," Sirius said, turning around to watch Mrs. Weasley instructing Ron at how to properly clean the fireplace as he ate his sandwich. "My father put every security measure known to wizard kind on it when he lived here. It's unplottable so Muggles could never come and call. Dumbledore's added his own protections to it, and he's secret keeper for it. No one can find the place unless he tells them where it is. That note Moody showed you was from Dumbledore."*

He looked wistfully at the windows as the twins scrubbed at them.

"I just wish I could go outside once in a while. I asked Dumbledore if I could come with you to your hearing, as Snuffles, of course," Sirius continued, looking longingly at the park across the street. "So I can give you some moral support."*

Harry nodded, but his heart sank again. With all the things going on in the house and everything else he had to worry about the hearing kept slipping from his mind. Sirius turned to look at him and frowned,

"Don't worry," Sirius said, patting him on the shoulder. Harry looked up at him. "There's definitely a by law in the International Statute of Secrecy about being allowed to use magic in life threatening situations. "*

"If they do," Harry started quietly, "could I come back here and live with you? I would feel better if I knew I wouldn't have to go back to the Dursleys."*

"They must be bad if you want to live here," Sirius said, but he didn't answer Harry's question or his imploring looks. Sirius picked up the bag of dead rats and left the room without looking back at Harry. Hermione moved to stand next to him and nodded towards two large cabinets.

"Want to tackle those next?"

Harry tried to quell the anger and loneliness that had sprouted in his stomach as Sirius had left the room. He sighed and nodded to Hermione who smiled weakly at him and moved to grab her gloves and the cleaning supplies. He followed Hermione and opened the door of the first cabinet. Harry stared at the clutter for a moment.

"Let's just empty them, Lupin can go through what might be dangerous," Hermione said, grabbing for a human skull and putting it into a box she had placed at their feet. Harry reached in and pulled out a milk bottle with a red liquid.

"Is that blood?" Hermione asked wrinkling her nose in disgust. Harry shrugged, looking at the thick fluid slid around, clinging to the sides of the jar. They pulled out a locket and a bracelet shaped like a coiled snake. When Harry touched the snake the head turned to look up at him. He dropped it into the box with a clatter and Harry stared at it, but the silver snake didn't move.

"Who'd make a cord this long out of gold?" Hermione asked, studying the strange ball of thread in her hands. Instead of putting it into the box she placed it on the floor next to her feet.

The rest of the objects they pulled out of the cabinet were relatively uninteresting largely antique tea sets from various eras, each emblazoned with the Black family crest. Mrs. Weasley brought them another box and old _Daily Prophets_ to wrap them. By dinner time they'd cleared out the cabinets, Ron finished scrubbing out the fireplace and Mrs. Weasley laundered and hung the curtains. Fred, George and Ginny had scrubbed the windows until the light of the setting sun was easily filtering into the drawing room.

Mrs. Weasley collapsed into one of the looking around the room in pleasure. Then she closed her eyes with a sigh. George and Fred took her distraction to gather their hidden Doxies and slip quietly into the hall. Mrs. Weasley was covered in dust, soot, and her hair was falling out of the bun she had slapped it in on the top of her head.

"About time to get dinner together," Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes opening with disappointment.

"We can do it Mum," Ginny said, pulling off her gloves and wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "I can throw together a stew or something."

Ginny looked expectantly at Hermione, Ron and Harry. They all followed her out of the room down to the kitchen. Ginny pulled out a large pot and put it onto the stove. She opened the ice box and rummaged around before pulling out carrots, celery, potatoes, and an onion. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood awkwardly looking at everything Ginny was putting on the island in front of them. Ginny finally stopped and looked at them expectantly.

"Well? Start chopping, and somebody needs to peel the potatoes."

They all moved at once and after a couple of moments they were all busy getting things ready. Ginny busied herself putting water, oil, and stock into the pot.

"The Chudley Cannons have a good chance this year, better than the last couple of years," Ron said, chopping the carrots.

"Ron, you say that every year," Ginny said, stirring the pot and tossing in some herbs. "The Falcons are going to be the team to beat."

"I was reading the Kestrals have picked up a great new group of Chasers. And Puddlemore United moved Wood to start," Harry said, wiping tears away from his eyes and blinking rapidly.

"I wish we could go to more games," Ginny said wistfully as she picked up the pile of carrots in front of Ron and deposited them into the soup.

"How many players need to be replaced this year for Gryffindor?" Hermione asked, trying to join the conversation.

"Just Wood," Harry said, picking up the finished onion and putting it into the pot and breathing in the great smells coming from it. "This smells great Ginny."

She blushed lightly and smiled, "Thanks Harry."

The doorbell rang again upstairs and Mrs. Black's shrieks started. Ron looked longingly toward the steps, "Wonder who that is."

Ginny shoved the bowls into his hands in response. They couldn't hear anything other than Mrs. Black's yells and the footsteps in the hallway. Tonks wandered down into the kitchen with her hair long, wavy, and Weasley red. She looked like Ginny's older sister and Harry could feel a slight blush running over his face.

"Oh what's for dinner? I'm starving!" Tonks cried, and then missed the last step and tumbled into the table, catching herself just in time.

"Vegetable Stew," Ginny said, smiling widely at the Auror. "Love the hair."

"Thanks! Can I help with anything?"

"You can get the pumpkin juice and wine out and put them on the table."

Fred and George dashed into the kitchen, "We just overheard Kinglsey talking about some sort of…"

They trailed off when they noticed Tonks. Mrs. Weasley and Kingsley walked down the stairs talking right behind them and they jumped to grab silverware from Ron and look busy. Their mother looked at them suspiciously.

"Harry dear, I've set out a suit for you, and you'll have to be up by five to leave in time. Arthur and Tonks will be taking you."

For the third time that day Harry's stomach dropped. Hermione stepped next to him and placed her hand on his arm. The rest of the evening fell away as Harry's thoughts became consumed with the hearing. If anyone spoke to him over dinner he didn't notice and he ate on autopilot. After dinner he and Ron trudged upstairs and Harry changed into his pajamas in silence. Ron chattered the whole time and kept throwing nervous glances his way, but Harry couldn't seem to operate outside of his own head. Harry thought he would never be able to sleep, but the sheer exhaustion of worrying put him out as soon as he closed his eyes.

He dreamt of lightening crashing through the sky outside the window of the Gryffindor common room. He was on the couch with a large book in his lap and Hermione asleep on his shoulder. The fire crackled in front of him and the sound of thunder rumbling outside was soothing. If he could just remember what he was supposed to be looking for in the book. The page he had open was a demonic creature pulling itself up from a crevice in the ground.

"Harry," Hermione's voice called and he looked to her sleeping form. Had she called for him in her sleep?

"Harry!" Her voice came again insistently. He opened his eyes and Hermione was standing over him in the dark room. Ron's soft snores were coming from the other bed. Harry sat up, blinking at her.

"Hermione, what are you doing in here?" Harry whispered.

"It's time to get up. You have to get ready for the hearing," Hermione said and she turned and left the room. Harry dressed quietly, putting on the suit that Mrs. Weasley had laid out for him. The shoulders of the coat were tight and the pants were three inches too long. He wore his own blue button up shirt and Mrs. Weasley had found a black tie in Sirius' old things. He gave up trying to tie it as his fingers trembled and refused to knot the fabric correctly. Hermione was waiting for him in the hallway and smiled at him.

"Let me fix you up," She said, flipping up his collar and adjusting the tie. He looked down as her hands moved deftly. Harry thought of how much he would miss Hermione if she went off to Hogwarts with Ron, Ginny, and the twins without him. She flipped the collar down and smoothed out his coat. "There you are. I bet Mrs. Weasley can fix the length of the pants. I don't know that she'll be able to do anything about how tight it is on the shoulders. You look handsome, Harry."

"Thanks Hermione," Harry said, smiling genuinely at her. They headed down into the kitchen were Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, Mr. Weasley, and Mrs. Weasley were eating breakfast.

"Oh, Hermione dear, I didn't expect you to be up yet," Mrs. Weasley said, blinking in surprise as Hermione followed Harry down the steps.

"I wanted to make sure Harry was alright," Hermione said, and snatching a piece of toast from the pile, chewing on it absently, and trying not to stare at Harry.

"Well, Harry dear, have some toast, and some pumpkin juice. You need to eat something," Mrs. Weasley said, even though Harry was shaking his head at her. He sighed and tried to eat and drink with Mrs. Weasley watching him. Harry felt the toast settle into his stomach like a stone. Tonks yawned loudly and looked at her watch.

"What were you saying about Scrimgeour?" Lupin asked Tonks across the table from Harry.*

"Oh yeah, we just have to be careful about him, he's been asking all sorts of questions lately. He seems too curious for my taste," Tonks said and yawned again. "And I'll have to tell Dumbledore that I can't patrol tomorrow night, I'm just to-to-" she yawned a third time "too worn-out."*

"I'll cover for you, I took the day off anyway," Mr. Weasley said before turning to Harry. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Harry said, but he could tell that none of them believed him.

"It's alright," Mr. Weasley said. "In a few hours' time, you'll be cleared."

Harry nodded and smiled weakly, but he said nothing.

"The hearing is on my floor in Amelia Bones' office. She's head of Magical Law Enforcement, and she's the one who'll be questioning you."

"Amelia Bones is okay, Harry," said Tonks, "She's fair. She'll hear you out."

"Don't lose your temper, and be polite. Just stick to the facts," Sirius said abruptly. Harry nodded.

"The law is on your side," said Lupin quietly. "Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life threatening situations."

Hermione put her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze. Harry didn't look up from his plate where his toast lay half-eaten. What he really wanted to do more than anything in that moment was to take a run. He wanted to pound his feet across the pavements until he didn't have to think about his entire world falling apart.

"We better get going," Mr. Weasley said, standing up from his chair. Harry stood abruptly and pulled his hand away from Hermione. Harry could feel her eyes on him, but he refused to look at her. He was trying to keep his emotions in check and if he caught Hermione's worried gaze again, he might lose control.

"Oh, hold on Harry," Mrs. Weasley said and waving her wand she shortened the pants. Then she ran her hands over the coat, looking him over and clucking at his hair.

"Well, alright. Good luck dear," Mrs. Weasley hugged him ferociously.

"It will be fine," Lupin said, as he and Tonks both patted him on the back.

"And if it's not, well I'll see to Amelia Bones for you," Sirius said with a smirk. Harry smiled weakly.*

"See you later then," Harry said, following Tonks and Mr. Weasley out of the house and down onto the street. Tonks moved off down the street in front of them, casually looking back and forth as she did.

"You don't normally walk to work, do you?" Harry asked Mr. Weasley as they started off down Grimmauld Place to the corner. Harry could just make out the red of Tonks hair a block in front of them.

"No I usually Apparate, but obviously you can't. And I think it's best if we arrive in a thoroughly non-magical fashion. Considering what you're being disciplined for."

When they arrived at the underground station, they found it full of early morning commuters. As ever, when he found himself in close proximity to Muggles going about their everyday lives, Mr. Weasley found it hard to contain his enthusiasm. He marveled at the automatic ticket machines.

"Wonderfully ingenious," Mr. Weasley said.

"They're out of order," Harry pointed out.

"But even so, just wonderful."

They bought their tickets from a sleepy man in the booth and Harry handled the transaction as Mr. Weasley looked on with amazement. They boarded the train and stood holding the railing as the packed car rumbled down the tracks.

Mr. Weasley kept anxiously checking the map over the door.

"Three stops to go…two stops to go…"

They got off the train at the station Mr. Weasley indicated. They walked with the flow of suited Muggles carrying briefcases heading up onto the street. Harry led Mr. Weasley up the steps to emerge onto a bustling sidewalk

"Now, where are we?" Mr. Weasley said and Harry felt his heart stop. Had they gotten off at the wrong stop? "Ah, here we go. This way Harry."

Mr. Weasley started off down the street and Harry followed, "Sorry about that. I hardly ever come by train and it all looks a bit different from a Muggle perspective."

They walked down the busy street and then turned onto a smaller side lane and then onto another. The buildings got shorter and the traffic whittled down to nothing as they finally slowed turning onto another street with a pub on one side and a small law office on the other.

"I never use the visitor's entrance," Mr. Weasley said and ushered Harry into an old red telephone box missing several panes of glass. Harry stepped inside and looked around for the way into the Ministry. Mr. Weasley stepped in and they moved together trying to fit into the booth at the same time. Mr. Weasley picked up the receiver from the dialing apparatus. He dialed a number written on a piece of parchment and a cool voice spoke from the top of the box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic Visitor's Entrance. Please state your name and business with the Ministry."

Mr. Weasley held the phone up to his mouth upside down, "Arthur Weasley, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, escorting Harry Potter who has been asked here to attend a disciplinary hearing."

"Thank you," the voice said mechanically. "Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes."

There was a click and a small badge appeared in the coin return, Harry reached around Mr. Weasley to pick it up. It said, "Harry Potter, Disciplinary Hearing."

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security office, which is located at the far end of the atrium."

The box started to sink into the ground like an elevator. Harry felt apprehension bubble up as they descended through the ground in darkness with neither he nor Mr. Weasley speaking. A bit of light appeared on their feet and as the fell lower, the light got brighter. He blinked as the box slowed and the light hit him in the face.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day," the voice said as the door to the telephone box opened and they stepped out into a buzzing crowd. They were standing at the end of a great room with green marble floors and white marble columns rising up into the ceiling. The ceiling was peacock blue and gold. Along the wall on the left were gilded fireplaces, and every minute or so a witch or wizard would step out of them and stride into the hall, similar fireplaces on the right had a queue waiting to leave. In the middle of the atrium was a fountain. A group of golden statues was suspended over the pool and in the middle a noble wizard stood with a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house elf. The water was coming out of the witch and wizard's wands, the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat and each of the house-elves ears. The sound of the water, the whoosh of the floo fires and the pop of Apparation reverberated throughout the hall.

1: Kobalos- actually are shape shifters from Greek Mythology

2: "**Cordelia Chase**: "Demons, Demons, Demons." Wow. They put a lot of thought into that title." Angel: The Ring

Also, anything with a (*) is from OotP


	7. Letters and Diagon Alley

Chapter Six- Prefects and Overheard Conversations in Diagon Alley

Ron sat at the table listening to Hermione tap her fingers nervously against the table. He had woken up and saw Harry's bed empty. When he went downstairs Ginny and Hermione were sitting in the kitchen drinking tea and staring at the clock. Hermione had finally left the room to grab a book from the drawing room. She came back, sat down and stared at the same page for over an hour. As the day wore on, everyone congregated in the kitchen to wait. Ron didn't know what would happen if Harry didn't get off.

'_Would it be…so bad?_' a tiny voice in the back of his head said. He shoved it away and felt ill with guilt. Harry was his best friend, and Ron tried valiantly to let himself think about how his own life might change without Harry. He would not just be Harry Potter's best friend. If he got on the Quidditch team it would be of his own accord.

'_STOP IT!_' Ron screamed in his own mind.

The sound of the door opening upstairs caused everyone to whip their heads to the stairs. Ron held his breath as the sound of two sets of feet moved through the hall and down the stairs. Harry's face was lit up with an exuberant smile.

"I knew it! You always get away with stuff!" Ron said, a grin splitting his face as he jumped up from the kitchen table and punched the air.*

"They were bound to clear you," Hermione said, her voice strong but her hand shaking. "There was no case against you. None at all."*

"Everyone seems quite relieved though, considering they all knew I'd get off," Harry said, but his smiled spread even wider. Mrs. Weasley was wiping her eyes on her apron as she smiled and cried at the same time. Fred, George, and Ginny were dancing around the room to a type of war dance and chanting,*

"He got off! He got off!" *

"That's enough, settle down," Mr. Weasley said, smiling at them.*

"BE QUIET YOU THREE!" Sirius roared at them, but it was half-hearted.*

"Molly, I'm going to be late. Kingsley might stop by, but I'm covering for Tonks," Mr. Weasley said and left the house.*

"He got off! He got off!"*

"That's enough Fred, George, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley yelled at them and they all settled onto the table. "Sit down Harry, have some lunch."*

Ron sat down on his left and Hermione on the right. Mrs. Weasley was ladling chili into bowls and having the twins pass them out to everyone. Ginny placed a platter of cornbread on the table and took a seat in between the twins. Harry told them the story in between bites of food.

"Good thing that Dumbledore was there," said Ron, crumbling crackers onto his second bowl of chili.*

"Yeah he swung it for me."

"Glad we won't have to find a new seeker as well as a keeper this year," said George, smiling widely. Ron laughed and looked to see Harry and Hermione looking at each other. Hermione had her hand on Harry's shoulder and he felt his stomach seize with jealousy. They always seemed to be giving each other looks. He shook his head and went back to listening to the twins joke about Harry's ability to avoid the law.

-000-

Over the last weeks of holiday, Ron was starting to regret his vehemence about helping the Order. His mother had taken that to mean that he would clean anything and everything in the house for hours on end. They'd finished the drawing room on the first level, and Mrs. Weasley had split them up with the twins and Ginny helping her to tackle the study on the second floor and Harry, Ron, and Hermione cleaning out the cupboard on the third floor. The cupboard was covered in mold and seemed to be breeding.

"I feel like a house-elf," Ron grumbled, as they scrubbed out the inside of the cupboard. The mold stuck to his finger and no matter how hard he pulled and picked it wouldn't let go. *

"Now that you understand what kind of lives they lead maybe you'll be a little nicer and more understanding of them," Hermione said, her voice muffled from inside the cupboard. Ron glared at her back. "You could also take a more active part in S.P.E.W. It actually wouldn't be a bad idea to show people how bad it is to clean all the time. Maybe we could do a sponsored scrub of Gryffindor Common Room, all proceeds to go to S.P.E.W. Raise both some money and some awareness."*

"I'll sponsor you to shut up about S.P.E.W." Ron said, but only to Harry as Hermione continued on inside the cupboard.*

"Book lists are here," Mrs. Weasley said coming up the stairs and looking at their progress. "Aren't you done here?"

"We've been scrubbing for hours, it's been horrendous," said Ron, looking eagerly up at his mother. She clucked her tongue.

"Maybe you need to scrub harder."

Ron frowned at her. He'd been expecting to get some sort of praise. Instead she shook her head and sighed, "Well, I suppose you can take a short break. Ginny's making sandwiches."

Ginny had a platter full of turkey and ham sandwiches and a bowl of Cauldron Crisps. Ginny was sitting at the table eating a sandwich with one hand and holding her letter with the other. Fred and George followed them into the kitchen.

"Letters are on the table," Ginny said, not looking up from her own letter.

Ron grabbed his from the pile and ripped it open. He read the normal beginning of the year welcome and then looked at his booklist.

"Looks like Dumbledore finally found a new Defense teacher, _Defensive Magical Theory_ by Wilbert Slinkhard," Fred said, looking over his own list.*

"We overheard Mum and Dad saying that he was having a heck of a time finding anyone to take the position with how they all end up. Quirrel got possessed, Lockheart lost his marbles, Lupin had to leave because of his condition, and then the last one got locked in a trunk for the whole year," George said, also reading over his list. *

"I wonder who it will be. Mum will be happy; there are only a couple of new books on here. Although, since when do I need _The History of Spell Development_?" Ron asked, but no one had a chance to respond as Hermione gave a squeal. He looked up and saw Hermione holding a red and gold prefects badge.

"I just knew it!" Hermione cried looking at her badge joyously. Ron turned to make a scathing comment to Harry, but he noticed that his friend was holding a badge of his own.

"Oh Harry, you got one, too!" Hermione squealed, jumping up and down. Ron felt his stomach plummet. The color went out of his face as he watched his two best friends looking at each other-Harry in shock, and Hermione in school bliss.

"Oh no, now you're one of them," George said, looking at Harry with disgust. Harry looked up from his badge and shook his head.

"This can't be right," Harry said, shoving his letter at Hermione. Her eyes flew over the letter and looked up smiling.

"It's for you, Harry. I mean, you are the youngest Triwizard Champion, a good quidditch player, and a natural leader," Hermione rattled off, smiling manically at Harry. Ron felt the anger building up inside of him, the color rushing back into his face. Harry turned to look at him and Ron tried to smile at him, but he knew it was strained. Harry opened his mouth as to speak, but he closed it again, looking confused.

"Good for both of you," Ron said, nodding to Hermione as well. He could feel the others watching him and he suddenly felt suffocated.

"I forgot… I have to go… Erm…"Ron trailed off, but he couldn't think of anything to say so he just turned and walked stiffly up the stairs. He knew they would probably talk about him after he left, but he couldn't stand there with them. Hermione wouldn't have been able to contain her joy and the look of sympathy and shock on Harry's face was burned into Ron's mind. He stomped up the steps and ran into his mother who had an arm full of laundry. She took one look at his face and set the pile aside, right onto the floor of the second floor landing.

"What's happened? Is something wrong?"

Ron blushed deeply ducking his head and mumbling, "Nothing."

He tried to side step her, but Mrs. Weasley caught him by the shoulders and peered into his face intently. He could feel the resentment, anger, and loneliness crawl through him and his eyes started to well. He screwed his eyes shut to hold back the tears and when he opened them again Mrs. Weasley was looking at him patiently.

"Harry and Hermione are the Gryffindor prefects," Ron finally mumbled after failing to get out of his mother's grasp.

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said, looking shocked and confused.

"I didn't even want to be one," Ron continued looking down at his feet. His mother squashed him to her in a rough hug and he struggled to get away from her again. Apart of him wanted nothing more than to succumb to her, but another part, a louder part of him wanted to run away to his room and barricade himself inside until the school year started.

"Ron dear, you have many talents and sometimes it just takes certain people longer to find themselves. Your time will come. And think of all that you have that Harry does not. I bet if you asked him, he'd trade it all," Mrs. Weasley said, releasing him with a final pat on his back. She gathered the laundry back into her arms and continued down to the kitchens. Ron stormed up to his room and slammed the door. He stomped around the bedroom and flopped onto his bed.

He stared at the ceiling, his frustration bubbling over. Frustration at his family for turning out two Head Boys, a Quidditch Captain, and the best practical jokers Hogwarts had seen since the Marauders. Even Ginny was spectacular in her own way, even though she wasn't often recognized. Ginny was the first Weasley girl in about ten generations, and in a household of brothers. On top of that, she was an amazing Chaser and as soon as there was an opening on the team Ron knew she would try out.

"What is there for me?" Ron asked the empty room. He could always try out for Keeper. That was the position he always played when he and his siblings had played pick-up games. He wished he had a better broom to try out with. His Shooting Star wouldn't be able to compete, but he would never be able to afford a new broom.

There was a soft knock on the door and he rolled over and closed his eyes, figuring it would be easier to pretend to be asleep. The door opened and his mother's voice called to him,

"Ron, would you like to come with me to Diagon Alley? I need an extra pair of hands and the rest of them are cleaning the mold still. We'll leave in five minutes."

Ron rolled over and nodded to her, face expressionless. His mother smiled at him with understanding and left the room. At least, if nothing else, he could get out of cleaning for the day and he wouldn't have to spend the day with Harry and Hermione looking at him with furtive glances. He put a jumper on and wandered down to the front entrance. Mrs. Weasley's voice carried up from the kitchen.

"-will know if you haven't been working on it!"

She appeared at the top of the steps, stuffing the letters into her pocket. They stepped out onto the bright street and Ron felt some of the gloom lift. He hadn't been out of the gloomy house in weeks. The sun came out from behind the wispy cloud and Ron wished that they were back at the Burrow and he could be practicing for tryouts. If he couldn't be a prefect with Harry and Hermione, at least he could get on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Mum," Ron said, his brain moving quickly as he followed her down the street to the train station. "Could I… Could I maybe have a broomstick this year? Not a very good one. Just like a better one. I want to… I want to try out for Keeper and I can't compete without a new broom."

Mrs. Weasley was silent and her face was tight as they walked along. Ron glanced from her to his shoes, to the houses along the street. His mother didn't answer him until after they had gotten on the train and were rumbling along into the city.

"I suppose," Mrs. Weasley started suddenly and Ron's eyes shot up to her face in anticipation, "that considering you haven't asked for anything in quite some time that a new broomstick wouldn't be too much of a problem."

The entirety of the turmoil he had felt since seeing the prefect badges vanished. He was going to have a new broom. Even Fred and George had to use the Cleansweep 5 model. Maybe he could get the Cleansweep Eleven-the newest in the Cleansweep line.* Not as fancy as a Nimbus or a Firebolt, but loads better than the Shooting Star or Charlie's old Cleansweep Three. He was so elated and his brain so full of broom models that he hardly noticed that they had made it to the front of the Leaky Cauldron until his mother mentioned something about Flourish and Blott's. He followed her through the nearly empty pub to the back door and through the opening archway into Diagon Alley.

"I need to find Ginny an anthology of plays for Muggle Studies. You go pick up the Defense books for the lot of you please, and thatbook on Spell Crafting for you, Harry and Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said and bustled into the crowd of students and parents. Ron wondered how she thought he would be able to gather all ten books and get them back through the crowd. He found the _Defensive Magical Theory_ taking up a whole bookcase near the register and then wandered further into the stacks searching for the _History of Spell Crafting_. He found them on a shelf near the back of the store, where the sounds of the other shoppers were muffled. They were sitting on the top shelf just above his head and Ron was glad for his height as he stood on tip toe to grab at the last four books on the dusty shelf.

"This isn't a discussion, Draco," a hushed voice spoke from the other side of the stack. Ron stepped closer to the shelf and held his breathe. He didn't know anyone else in the wizarding world with that stupid name. Ron peered through the shelf to the other side and saw the distinct greasy black hair of Professor Snape standing with his back to Ron's hiding place. Draco Malfoy was standing on the other side of the small alcove, glaring at his head of house. What were he and Draco Malfoy doing in Diagon Alley? Especially since, according to what they had overheard at the last Order meeting, Malfoy should be at Hogwarts in hiding.

"You have a destiny," Snape continued.

"Right… Save the world, get rid of the evil, blah blah blah. I've heard it all before from the old coot. Here's a thought, I don't want to do any of that stuff. I want to be the Mafloy Heir and have my destiny be to marry some boring socialite to give my parents a grandchild, and roll around in my vault full of money."

"That isn't your destiny Draco," Snape said softly, ignoring the sarcasm. "It's so much more than that. And your mother has gone to great lengths to protect you from the Dark Lord and what he would do to you if he found out about what you can do and who you are. Do not sully her efforts by turning your back on this. Something is coming Draco, something bigger than anything before and you have to be ready. All of the signs are pointing to an upheaval of some kind. The Death Eaters have been too quiet these past three months."

"Gee can you vague that up for me?" Draco snapped, and turned to walk away from him. Snape grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him back. Ron ducked, as Draco swung back around to glare at Snape again. (1)

"If you don't start training again you won't be ready, and you won't be able to defend your parents, if the time comes. Do you want to be the cause of their meaningless deaths?"

This appeared to be the wrong thing to say, because Draco yanked his arm free and strode back towards the crowded area of the shop. Snape growled and tried to follow Draco through the stacks. Ron stepped out from behind the book case and watched the Snape disappear into a group of customers. He quickly gathered the books into his arms and hurried to his mother who was waiting at the register. He had completely forgotten about everything, but getting back to Grimmauld Place and telling the others about the conversation he had overheard.

"Ready to go get your broom?" Mrs. Weasley said as they stepped back onto the busy alley.

Ron snapped his head up at her, "Yeah."

He had forgotten about the broom. His mind was swirling with the conversation. What was Malfoy training for? What was Snape getting him ready to do? Why would Mrs. Malfoy, pureblood and a Black, need to protect Malfoy from Voldemort?

He got distracted as they stepped into Quality Quidditch Supplies. A bludger was bouncing from wall to wall above their heads and various brooms sat in cases in front of them. Ron stepped forward and looked at each of them intently. The Firebolt was front and center, but Ron knew his parents could never afford to buy it. He stepped over to the one on the right and studied it carefully. The Cleansweep Eleven was made with oak and it shown under the glass. He studied it carefully before moving back past the Firebolt, and looking down at the case holding the Nimbus 2001. His mother sighed behind him and he knew she was going to lose patience quickly. The Nimbus was a better broom, but the Cleansweep had been the least costly of all the brooms.

The tall wizard who owned the Quality Quidditch Supplies stepped towards Ron with a smile, "Find one you like?"

"Well, I'm looking for a new broom for Quidditch. I know the Cleansweep is the better buy and with a speed increase, but nothing beats the Nimbus or the Firebolt. I'm trying for Keeper, so I need a maneuverable broom," Ron said, looking carefully at each of the brooms again. He knew they wouldn't be able to afford the Firebolt, but he tried to look at both the Nimbus and Cleansweep with equal attention.

"Well, if you're looking for the Nimbus abilities, but closer to the Cleansweep Eleven's price, I have a Nimbus 2000 that might tickle your fancy," the man said, watching Ron.

Ron looked up in surprise and excitement, giving away everything he had been trying so hard to hide. He tried to school his face and shrugged nonchalantly. The wizard smiled warmly at him and stepped into the back of the shop. Ron turned to his mother with a hopeful expression.

"If it is the right price," Mrs. Weasley said, but she was smiling.

The wizard came back into the room with a broom held in his arms, "Last one. You're lucky in that respect. In comparison with the Cleansweep, this is still a better broom."

Ron picked it up and looked it over carefully. His brain was racing over the statistics and what he could try to do with this broom. It was just identical to Harry's broom that had made an unfortunate trip into the Whomping Willow. He was hungry to try it out. Unfortunately, he knew his parents couldn't afford the galleons to buy the Nimbus even if it was an older one. He sighed and handed it back to the man.

"I'll probably just go with the Cleansweep," Ron said, trying not to blush. He turned back to the case where the broom lay. He stared down at the Cleansweep; it seemed to look less shiny and promising now.

"Are you sure?" The shop owner asked, frowning at Ron's back. Ron nodded stiffly, still trying to put back the original feelings towards the Cleansweep, but it was useless. It would never be as appealing as it was when he had first seen it.

"Well, I've had this one for about a year now, no one wants the 2000 with the 2001 and the Firebolt out," the man continued behind him and Ron turned slowly, hope spreading in his chest. "I could give you a deal on it. Otherwise, it'll just sit in the back and depreciate even more. How about 12 Galleons?(2)"

Ron turned to look at his mother who frowned looking down at the broom. He held his breath as she came forward to look at the Nimbus and then stepped to look at the Cleansweep. The man looked at her expectantly and then back at Ron.

"Well… I mean I suppose… you're really doing me a favor by buying it. How about 10 galleons?"

Mrs. Weasley didn't say anything for a long moment, finally she nodded and Ron let out his breath in a rush. The shop owner smiled and took the broom to the counter and packed it up, throwing a polishing kit into the bag with a wink at Ron. Mrs. Weasley handed over the coins and Ron took the package into his arms as if it were a new baby. He walked out onto the street as if he had already been picked for the team and had single handedly won the house cup. He followed his mother out onto Charing Cross road and back through the train station. Ron was getting strange looks for the broom shaped package in his arms, but he was thinking of everything he needed to tell his friends and what he could do to get ready for the Quidditch tryouts.

Ron walked softly into Grimmauld Place and past Mrs. Black's picture before he bolted down the stairs into the kitchen, but no one was there except for Kreacher, who was examining a clean pot with disgust on his face. Ron turned and rushed back up the stairs to the third floor where Harry and Hermione were still scrubbing the mold in the cupboard. Harry turned at the sound of Ron's pounding feet and looked shocked at the package in Ron's arms.

"You have to see it," said Ron, shoving the packaging aside and holding the Nimbus out to Harry.

Harry took it from him and looked at it closely. Ron beamed and looked to Hermione who glanced at it and then went back to cleaning.

"I can't wait to try it. I wish I could ride it right now. I can't wait until Malfoy sees it, he's never going to believe that I can afford a broom almost as good as his," Ron rambled rubbing his hand over the broom lovingly. "Speaking of Malfoy…"

He relayed the story and what he had overheard between Malfoy and Snape.

"What do you think Snape was talking about?" Ron asked, looking from Hermione to Harry and back again.

"Obviously, there's a connection," Hermione trailed off and looked thoughtful. Harry and Ron watched her as she seemed to pick through everything they'd overheard. She bit her lip and stared into space. Ron was anxious to hear her thoughts, but Harry shook his head when he opened his mouth. Hermione shook her head and sighed.

"After dinner, we should come back up here and go over it all."

Ron hoisted his broom and carried it with him down into the kitchens were Mrs. Weasley was rushing about with a bunch of dishes placing them all over the table.

"I thought we might have a bit of a party!" She said with a smile and placed a bowl of crisps on the table, next to other finger foods and a pile of chilled butterbeers. Above the island there hung a sign that said, "Congratulations Harry and Hermione!" Ron ignored the jealously that bubbled up from inside him again. He pushed away the thoughts coming forward in his mind, and the melancholy he had felt before going to Diagon Alley. Fred, George, and Ginny were sitting at the table, sneaking various foods when Mrs. Weasley's back was turned.

"What do you have there, Ron?" Fred asked, noticing the broom in Ron's hands.

"Is that a Nimbus?" Ginny gaped at the broom and Ron nervously held it out for them to look at. "How come you got a new broom?"

"I asked Mum," Ron mumbled, feeling the red rushing up into his ears and over his face. He was waiting for them to take the mickey out of him. He wished he had put the broom in his room.

"Ronald, go put that away," Mrs. Weasley called to him as she spooned homemade salsa into a bowl and he dashed out of the room before his siblings could start in on him. "The rest of the Order members should be here soon. The rest of you need to help me get this all set up."

Ron took the steps two at a time and nearly ran into Sirius as he rounded the banister on the second floor.

"Sorry Sirius," Ron said, grinning wildly and holding his broom to his chest.

"Don't worry about it," Sirius said, and held out his hand to look at the Nimbus. "Very nice broom, the Nimbus series is a great Quidditch broom."

"Yeah, I got lucky because this was the last one they had," said Ron, looking at the broom lovingly. "I can't wait to fly it. I wish we could go outside, although I suppose I couldn't just ride it around the neighborhood anyway."

"I know how that feels," Sirius grumbled, handing the broom back to Ron and heading towards the kitchen. Ron watched him with confusion, before taking his broom into his room and laying it carefully on the bed and then covering it with a blanket. He stared at it and thought about flying it until his stomach growled and he left it to get some food. When he reappeared in the kitchen, it was now full with Order members. Excepting Charlie and Percy, the entire Weasley family was there and Ron dreaded having to see Bill and his father. Fortunately, or unfortunately, no one spoke about Ron's lack of a prefect badge.

Ron made a point of standing next to the twins instead of Harry and Hermione who were being fussed over by Mrs. Weasley and congratulated by Lupin on the other side of the kitchen.

"Stand in front of us," Fred mumbled to Ron as Mundungus came over to talk to them as well. "Let us know if Mum starts over here."

"Look what Dungs gotten us," George said holding out black pods that rattled in his hand. "Venomous Tentaculus Seeds, we need them for the Skiving Snack boxes, but they're a class C non-tradable substance. We've been having a hard time getting a hold of them."

"10 Galleons then," Fred said, looking at Dung with an expressionless face.

"Shut up," Ron hissed at them. Mrs. Weasley had seen the four of them huddled in the corner and was making her way across the kitchen with a determined look on her face. George shoved the black pods into his pocket and looked up innocently.

"I propose a toast," Mr. Weasley said, and Mrs. Weasley turned to him distractedly. Everyone raised their glasses and Tonks handed a glass of wine to Mrs. Weasley as Fred sighed in relief. "To Harry and Hermione, the new Gryffindor Prefects."

"I was never a prefect myself," Tonks said to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. Fred handed Dung a couple of coins and Dung sidled away to talk to Sirius. "My head of house said I lacked certain qualifying qualities."

"What's that?" Ginny asked her and Ron walked towards them as the twins dashed up the stairs while Mrs. Weasley's back was turned.

"Like the ability to behave myself," said Tonks, grinning widely as Ginny snorted with laughter. Mrs. Weasley clucked her tongue and bustled about to make sure everyone was getting enough food. Hermione and Harry came to talk with them as well, plates full of food.

"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked.

Sirius barked in laughter, "No one would have made me a Prefect. I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy."

"I think Dumbledore thought I could be a mellowing element to the group, but I failed miserably," said Lupin from across the table with a wry smile at Sirius. Ron felt better standing there. Sirius and James Potter were considered amazing wizards and they'd never been Prefects. Tonks was an Auror and she'd never been a Prefect. The jealousy and the lonely feelings he'd been squishing down all day were pushed a little further back in his mind and he felt he could finally enjoy the party.

He was happy to tell anyone who would listen, that he had gotten a new broom. Hermione had cornered Sirius at one point to discuss elf rights and then when he'd escaped she'd found Lupin to discuss it with.

Mrs. Weasley looked around at the kitchen happily, "Well I'm going to go take care of the Boggart before heading to bed. Arthur, don't let the kids stay up too late they have to pack tomorrow and they've all got things all over the house."

She headed up the steps out of the kitchen. Ron watched her go and then felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. He looked over and saw Moody's magical eye watching him even though Moody's body and his other eye were facing Kingsley. Ron shuddered and wandered over to sit at the table with Hermione and Harry.

"I can't wait to get back to school," Ron said with a sigh. "I'm ready to get outside again, and I cant' wait to try my broom."

"I need to start running again, and flying," Harry said, taking another swig of butter beer.

"I can't wait to start classes," said Hermione. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry who tried smiled at Hermione. She laughed a little and shook her head at them. Ron smiled, too as Hermione took Harry's butter beer and took a drink from it. Ron yawned and looked around, Kingsley had left, as had Tonks and Lupin. Ginny had seemed to have left for bed as well. Fred and George were sitting in the corner laughing and smiling as Sirius talked.

"I'm ready for bed," Ron said, yawning widely. Harry and Hermione agreed. They'd just started up the steps to the second floor when they heard Ginny's frantic voice and Mrs. Weasley crying.

"-I'll go get someone!" Ginny burst out of the upstairs study and streaked past them down the stairs. "Dad! Dad! Come quick!"

Ron rushed into the study to see his own dead body lying on the floor and his mother sitting on the floor bawling hysterically. He felt frozen as he looked between his own body and the form of his mother.

"That Boggart," Hermione said, her voice shaking

"Ri-Ri-Riddikulus!" Mrs. Weasley cried, pointing her wand at Ron's body. CRACK! The boggart changed into Harry's dead body. Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder.

"Riddikulus!"

CRACK! The twins lay on the floor hands held outstretched towards one another. Crack! Ginny lay on the ground with blood pouring out of her mouth and a hole in her chest. Ron felt ill. He felt his legs give out. The floor rushed up to greet him as he dropped onto his knees. Mr. Weasley, Moody, and Sirius rushed in.

"Molly!" cried Mr. Weasley, seeing the scene in front of him. He shoved passed Harry and Hermione and pulled his wand.

"Ridikulus!" He cried and the Boggart disappeared with a last loud crack.

The room fell silent. No one made a noise as Mr. Weasley strode to his wife. Mrs. Weasley sat in the corner, sobbing so hard that she made no noise, just inhaling over and over. Finally, it burst again and she heaved herself onto her husband sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh Arthur," Mrs. Wesley cried after she was able to speak again. Ron sat on the floor across from his parents feeling that he was intruding, but he couldn't get his legs back under his body. He had never seen his mother cry the way she was now. The tears were still streaming down her face and her whole body was wracked.

"It wasn't real, Molly. It was all just the Boggart," Mr. Weasley said, as his wife clung to him desperately.

"I know, but I see-see them…" she sobbed again. "I see them all the time, when I sleep. I can't….I can't lose them Arthur…What would I do if something happened to any of them? The whole family is in the order…"

"Molly, we're doing everything we can to keep them safe," Mr. Weasley said, stroking her hair. Sirius stepped into the room and grabbed Ron roughly by the arm and lifted him to his feet. He could still hear his parents voices and his mother's sobs as he was pulled into the hallway and the door was closed behind them.

"Harry, take him up to bed," instructed Sirius, and Harry grabbed Ron's arm. Ron shook him off and slowly walked up the steps to the third floor. He knew Harry would be following, but he didn't want to talk or be touched. He wanted nothing more than to rewind the clock and never see the images of his family and of Harry. Ginny had been the worse. How was he going to protect her from everything that was obviously headed towards them? How was he going to stop her from wanting to be involved? And Harry. His best friend in the entire world had almost been killed year after year and Ron could just imagine what was coming now that Voldemort was at full strength. Ron tossed and turned the entire night as the images of the dead bodies kept floating in front of him every time he closed his eyes.

1= Welcome to the Hellmouth S1E1 Buffy

2= HP-Lexicon Money Convertor

*=OotP


	8. The Hogwarts Express and Forbidden Fores

A/N: This chapter took me awhile because I ended up having a change of heart on how this chapter was going. Please read and review and give me your opinions on this chapter and on the story as a whole.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Other references to shows are listed below and anything with a * is from OotP either directly or indirectly.

"Have you seen my _Hogwarts: A History_?" Hermione asked Ginny the next morning as they gathered the things in their room. Ginny was folding her robes. She looked up and glanced at Hermione's bed-covered in books, parchment, and quills. Hermione had packed and repacked three times already, but couldn't seem to make enough room for all the books she wanted to take with her.

"I haven't seen it. Does Sirius know about all the books you borrowed?"

Hermione nodded, still staring at the piles in front of her. Ginny shook her head and went back to packing her robes. Hermione had been pulling books from the shelves in the library all summer and hording them away for future reference if she deemed them more than pureblood propaganda.

"I'm missing my scarf…" Ginny said to herself looking over her clothes.

"I think it's down on the rack in the hall."

Ginny jumped from her bed and stepped into the hallway. She flattened herself against the wall reflexively, as Fred and George raced down the steps from the third floor followed by an irate Ron.

"What did you do to my broom?"

Ginny shook her head. The whole house was in an uproar. Ginny could hear Sirius arguing with Kreacher from one of the floors upstairs, and Mrs. Weasley had caught wind of the twins' practical joke on Ron. All of this was capped by Mrs. Black's portrait,

"Mudbloods! Traitors! Horrible beasties that besmirch my house!"

Ginny found her scarf exactly where Hermione had mentioned. She poked her head into the drawing room and looked around to make sure nothing else was floating about. On the couch was a familiar worn _Hogwarts: A History_ that Hermione had been searching for. Stepping back into the hallway Ginny noticed the kerfuffle in the other parts of the house seemed to have wound down. Even Mrs. Black's portrait was quietly snoring behind the tapestry again. Ron walked up from the kitchen carrying his broom possessively.

"What did they do to it?"

Ron held the Nimbus closer to his body, "Shrunk it and ran off with it. I don't know what else they were trying to do."

Ginny spent the entire day packing, then rushing around the house gathering things she'd left lying around. Dinner was a small affair of sandwiches and then they were all sent to bed early by Mrs. Weasley. And no one wanted to argue with her, her hair flying wildly around her head and her face seemed to have been turned permanently red by the chaos and the twins joke on Ron.

-000-

"Are you ready yet?" Ginny asked Hermione, locking her trunk up and sweeping her eyes over the room one last time. Hermione growled in frustration, putting all her weight onto her trunk and finally sliding the lock into place.

"Ready!" She said happily, but when she lifted her trunk another book became visible and she groaned. "I'll be down shortly. Go on without me."

Ginny stepped onto the landing and adjusted her heavy trunk as she slowly made her way towards the stairs. She was standing on the top step when two trunks soared through the air right towards her. Ginny tried to hurry down the steps as Fred and George came down from the third floor following their unruly luggage. Ginny finally made a desperate leap, landing in a crouch at the bottom as the trunks soared over her head. Fred and George gaped at her from the landing above.

"How did you do that?" they asked in unison.

"Did I just do that?" she echoed looking up the stairs at her brothers who both nodded.

"Bloody hell, you just jumped about twelve steps-with your trunk!" Fred finally spluttered. Ginny looked at her own legs in confusion. Mrs. Black shrieked as the trunks rushed by her portrait.

"I have no idea what happened."

Mrs. Weasley burst into the hall, frazzled and frowning at them, "What are you three doing? Get some toast or something and get the rest of your stuff. Moody should be here any moment. Don't know how we'll get to the station on time. George, go make sure Ron and Harry are ready."

Ginny stood with her legs shaking. She placed her trunk next to the twins' on the floor in the hall. The doorbell rang, Mrs. Black's shrieks intensified and Moody came in wearing a porkpie hat over his magical eye.* Ginny shivered as she felt the eye look to her from under the hat, but quickly retreated to the kitchen as Mrs. Weasley yelled for the rest of the teens.

They all bustled out the door an hour later with Moody, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley along with them. Sirius had even bounded out the door before Mrs. Weasley could stop him as Snuffles and spent the whole walk chasing pigeons to the delight of everyone, except Mrs. Weasley who clucked her tongue.

Ginny couldn't understand her mother's disapproval. Sirius was unrecognizable as the dog and he had been cooped up in the house for ages. For someone who had been in Azkaban it must have felt awful to go back.

On the walk to Kings Cross they gathered a mixture of interested and disapproving looks from the Muggles. Ginny figured they looked pretty ridiculous with two owls in cages, Crookshanks in his basket, a big bear like black dog, and four broomsticks, along with all their trunks, wheeling down the streets. Tonks kept looking at her watch and then glancing around them with sharp eyes. Ginny didn't know what happened if you didn't make it to the Hogwarts Express, but the way Tonks was acting; she assumed it would be best not to let it happen.

They dashed through the station and then casually leaned on the barrier two at a time so as not to attract attention. Her mother frantically kissed them all and gave last minute instructions for good behavior before shoving them towards the train. Sirius nuzzled Harry and jumped up onto his shoulders giving him a sort of awkward hug as Mrs. Weasley shoved Harry away.

"For Merlin's sake, act more like a dog!" Mrs. Weasley growled at him.

Ginny waved and hurried towards the Hogwarts Express. Fred and George disappeared before she had even realized they were leaving and Hermione and Harry were looking at her and Ron awkwardly.

"Well… we…er…we have to go to the Prefect Carriage. Just get some instructions, but we'll be back," Harry was saying to Ron who was blushing furiously as he tried to nod and brush them off.

"Right…Right…no, go on. I'll see you later then."

Ginny watched as Harry and Hermione walked off with each other, talking in low tones. They moved in step, smiling and waving as they passed people they knew. Ron looked after them wistfully. Ginny grabbed his arm and he looked to her with disappointment. She shrugged off her annoyance,

"Come on, we'll go find a compartment. They can come meet us."

They moved off down the train glancing into compartments until Ginny saw the people she had been looking for. She slid open the compartment door and stepped in, followed by Ron. Luna Lovegood was sitting with the _Quibbler_ upside down in front of her face and Neville Longbottom was sitting across from her with a cactus type plant in his lap. The plant was covered in bowls instead of needles and was a sickly grey color.

"Hello," Ginny said storing her things and taking the seat next to Luna. Luna slowly lowered her magazine and looked at Ginny and Ron with her silvery blue eyes, her pale eyebrows giving her a permanently surprised look. Her butter beer cap necklace was lying flat against her neck.*

"Have a good summer Luna?"

"Hello, Ginny, yes I have."

"Luna is in my year, but in Ravenclaw," Ginny said to Ron who shook his head.

"Look what I got from my Gran for my birthday!" Neville said, holding up his cactus. Ron looked at it disinterestedly. "It's a Mimbulus mimbletonia. They're very rare, I don't think there is one at Hogwarts even."*

"I bet Sprout will be very interested to see it," Ginny said, smiling at Neville who looked at the plant with pride. The plant pulsed rhythmically, and it reminded Ginny of a diseased bodily organ.

"Yeah, it's got a really interesting defense mechanism," he started, but the compartment door opened at that moment and Dean Thomas stuck his head into the door.

"Hello, Neville, Ron," the Gryffindor said, nodding to each of them and then smiling at Ginny. "Hey Gin, how was your summer?"

"Oh it was fine," Ginny said, her heart thumping a bit as the handsome boy grinned toothily at her. She had been corresponding back and forth with Dean up until the point when she had to go to Grimmauld with the rest of the family. She had been hoping to see him and had been looking for him or his hip attachment, Seamus Finnigan on the platform without much luck. And yet here he was, seeking her out. She'd crushed on Harry for so long that she didn't really know what to do with a boy who apparently reciprocated her feelings.

"Hey Dean," said Ron, looking between Dean and Ginny with suspicion. "What are you up to?"

"Well, actually, I just found out that Katie Bell actually got pulled from school here, she's going to Beauxbatons now," Dean said, looking at Ginny with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Ginny squeaked. She'd told Dean that she wanted to try out for Chaser as soon as Alicia and Angelina graduated, but this was completely unexpected, Katie was only two years older than her.

"I don't really know much, Seamus and I ran into Alicia on the platform. I think it might have something to do with… well… You-Know-Who."

"Dean, are you coming?" Seamus' voice called from outside the compartment. Dean glared over his shoulder at his friend. He rolled his eyes and waved to Ginny before turning around and leaving the compartment with a click.

"He likes you," Luna's voice came from behind her and Ginny glanced quickly at Ron who seemed to be telling Neville all about his new broom. Ginny turned back to Luna and smiled happily.

"Yeah, I think he might."

"Dean got Michael Corner to give me back my cauldron after he put it up on the top shelf in the library. I like him," said Luna, picking up her Quibbler again and disappearing behind it. Ginny knew that to Luna, anyone who did not steal her things or pick on her was the best type of person. The compartment door slid open again and this time it was Hermione and Harry with their robes on and Prefect's badges pinned to the front.

"Well that was worthwhile," Harry said giving Ron an eye roll. Ginny thought it was more for Ron's benefit, and felt her heart (the traitorous thing) swelled as Harry smiled at her.

"We got our instructions and we're going to have to patrol once in a while," added Hermione, giving Harry a disapproving look.

"Who else is a Prefect?" asked Ginny.

"Two boys and two girls from each house, as far as I could tell," Harry said, "Except Slytherin was missing their boy. Might be because it's Malfoy, that's what we assumed anyway."*

"And that cow Pansy Parkinson is the Slytherin girl," Hermione spat out.*

"And then Ernie McMillan and Hannah Abbott are the Hufflepuff."*

"Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein, for Ravenclaw."*

"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," Luna's ethereal voice said softly. Everyone turned and saw the Luna was staring at Ron unblinkingly over the top of _The Quibbler_.*

"Err… Yeah, I did," Ron said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"She didn't enjoy it very much," Luna informed him. "She didn't think you treated her very well because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I would have minded it. I don't like dancing very much." *

Ron gaped at her. Luna smiled at him and then pulled her magazine back into place in front of her. Ron looked at Ginny who was biting her knuckles to keep from laughing. Neville was staring at Luna in amazement. Ron broke into a bright smile and shook his head.

"I can't wait until you can get Crabbe and Goyle for something," said Ron with a glint in his eyes. *

"Ron, we can't abuse our authority," Hermione said in exasperation. "We're supposed to just take points and such from people who are doing something they ought not to be doing."*

"Well Crabbe and Goyle really ought not to exist, so there you go," Ron said smiling brightly at them. Everyone laughed, and Luna Lovegood laughed hardest. She giggled uncontrollably, holding her sides. She laughed so hard and so long that the others were hysterically laughing at both Luna and at Ron's expression.

"That was funny," Luna said smiling brightly at Ron who was looking at her suspiciously.

"Are you taking the mickey?"*

"Of course not, I just…" Luna couldn't finish as she broke into a fresh bought of laughter, wiping her eyes. Ginny didn't think Ron knew what to do with Luna. Luna's laughter had caused her _Quibbler_ to slide down her legs and onto the floor, Harry bent down and picked it up reading an article and then flipping to another.

"Listen to this," Harry said, "It says that Sirius Black is the lead singer of the Hob Goblins."

"Oh that is good," said Ron, leaning over Harry's shoulder to look at the article.

"I don't know how you lot can read that. _The Quibbler_ is rubbish, everyone knows that," said Hermione vehemently.

"Excuse me," Luna said just as Ginny kicked Hermione. "My father is the editor."

Luna's voice had gone cold and hard. Ginny closed her eyes as Hermione backpedaled.

"Well, what I meant was… I mean there are some great articles and the… well the writing is always good…."

"Anything off the trolley?" a small voice called. Everyone was glad for an excuse to break the tension that had surfaced between Luna and Hermione. Luna had grabbed her magazine back from Harry and was now hiding behind it again, resolutely ignoring the tea trolley. Harry bought everyone a round of iced pumpkin juice.

"Luna do you want one as well?" Harry asked as he passed them out to everyone. Luna did not move from behind her magazine and Harry looked to Ginny. Ginny in turn elbowed Hermione, who grit her teeth.

Finally Hermione sighed, "I'm sorry for saying that the _Quibbler_ is rubbish Luna. It's actually been very helpful this past summer. Better than the _Prophet_ most days."

Luna slowly lowered her paper and stared at Hermione with her luminous eyes, as Hermione sat perfectly still looking right back at her. Luna finally smiled slightly and reached for the pumpkin juice Harry was holding out to her. The rest of the ride was spent eating sweets and playing exploding snap with Harry and Hermione ducking out to patrol several times.

"We'd better all put our robes on," said Hermione as she entered the compartment after another sweep. They managed to all get into their trunks and put on their robes without too much damage, though Ron accidentally stepped on Crookshanks tail as he moved out of Neville's way.

"We have to go make sure everyone else has got all their belongings. Can someone look after Crookshanks for me?"

"That's fine," Ron said picking up the ginger cat. As soon as Harry and Hermione disappeared Ron shoved the cat into his basket. "Stay put."

"I'll take something," Ginny said, reaching for Crookshanks as Ron tried to juggle the two owls, the three trunks and his broom. Neville grabbed Harry's trunk and Luna reached for Pig and took his cage without a word.

"Alright, is that everything?" Ginny said, looking around the compartment as the train came to a full stop and the sounds of compartments opening and shouts of students erupted up and down the train. They moved out into the corridor and down onto the platform, moving with the crowd down past the train and stood to the side waiting as the students. The pair showed up looking harassed.

"Thank you," Harry said, taking his broom and trunk from Neville. "Stupid second year ran right into me with his trunk. Knocked the wind out of me and never even apologized."

"Oh Harry, I think he was scared because he saw who you were," Hermione rolled her eyes at him and gathered her things. "Thanks for waiting for us."

Ginny took a deep breath of the night air, smelling the pines. Ginny could hear familiar voices yelling greetings across the platform and down onto the road toward the stage coaches. She ran into Harry's immobile back and nearly fell backwards.

"Harry, what the bloody-"she stopped as he turned his shocked face towards her. She looked around him curiously, but all she could see were the same horseless carriages that were always used. "Something the matter?"

"Since when did those things start pulling the carriages?" Harry asked gesturing towards the front of the carriages.

"What?" Ginny asked looking at Harry in confusion.

"Those horse things."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Harry. There aren't any horses. Get in the carriage so we can ride together," Ginny didn't wait for Harry to answer before she strode towards the empty carriage on their right.

"Can't you see them?" Harry asked Ginny as he followed her. Ginny looked again at the front of the carriage, but it was empty space. She looked back at Harry with worry.

"It's alright," Luna said, "You aren't going mad. I can see them too."

"What?" Ginny said looking between Harry and Luna with concern.

"I've been able to see them since my first day here," Luna continued, ignoring Ginny. "They always pull the carriages. You're just as sane as I am."

Harry followed Luna into the carriage as Ginny continued to look at her two friends in concern.

"Did you see Hagrid?" Harry asked Ginny and Ron as they all settled into the carriage.

"No, that Grubbly-Plank woman was gathering the first years,"* said Ron, moving over as Neville seated himself next to them. The carriage started to move off down the road towards the castle.

"I hope Hagrid's not ill," Ginny said biting her lip.* She was actually more concerned about what else could have happened to Hagrid.

"I'll be quite glad if she's teaching for him again," Luna said, "Hagrid isn't a very good teacher."*

"Yes he is!" Harry, Ron and Ginny all said at the same time. Harry glared at Hermione who cleared her throat nervously.*

"Er right, he is."*

"Well, none of the Ravenclaw's think so," Luna said, unfazed by their narrowed eyes and angry tones.*

"Well then you all have a bad sense of humor," said Ron in a clipped tone.* Luna watched Ron closely for a bit without responding. The castle loomed in front of them as they drew closer and several windows were blazing with light. Ginny sighed happily looking up at the castle and then peered down towards Hagrid's hut. A small motion caught her notice and she narrowed her eyes, squinting towards the forest beyond the hut. The clouds parted slightly and a flash of silver hair and a pale face were just barely visible before the figure disappeared into the edge of the tree line. Ginny frowned; the hair was a dead giveaway.

Ginny waited until the others were out of the carriage and then jumped down and grabbed at Luna's arm as the rest of the group rushed up the steps. They had been in the last carriage and in moments no one else was standing outside. Ginny motioned for Luna to follow her and they walked swiftly to across the drive and onto the grass.

"What is it?" Luna finally asked as they hurried closer to Hagrid's and into the forest where Ginny had seen Draco Malfoy disappear from sight.

"I saw Malfoy come this way, I want to know what he's up to," Ginny whispered as they stepped into the forest, picking their way softly down the path between the trees. The night was calm, but the clouds kept obscuring the moonlight and Ginny refused to light her wand in case Malfoy caught site of it. As they traveled deeper into the forest her eyes adjusted and she was able to carefully step over underbrush.

"Maybe he saw a Hufflump(1)," suggested Luna in a whisper, but she stopped speaking when Ginny pinched her arm. Malfoy's drawling voice was coming from just ahead of them.

"Don't you think this is a little late for a snack? You'll have nightmares if you eat both of those."

Ginny furrowed her brow, and picked her way very carefully until the sound of strange voices came clearly from the other side of a large oak on top of a knoll. Ginny crouched and crab walked up to the base of the tree, then, lying herself flat on the ground, she peered around the base.

Malfoy was standing with his back to her only three feet away. Across from him were two men with two younger students held, unconscious, in their grasps. One of the girls was a Gryffindor Second Year that Ginny recognized, Claire or Clarity or something like that. The two men were taller than Malfoy by several inches but one was slight and the other was broad. They were both brunettes and both very pale. For a ludicrous moment Ginny wondered if any of the men in the clearing had ever even seen the sun. They were both wearing seventies style brown suede jackets with paisley shirts underneath. Unless Voldemort had drastically changed his followers' wardrobe in the past three months, Ginny could safely assume they were not Death Eaters.

"Stand aside mortal, we have business to attend to that does not concern you," the slight man said, and Ginny noticed that his canines had extended while he spoke.

"Vampires," Ginny mouthed to Luna. The pale girl simply shrugged and started digging in her pockets as quietly as she could.

"This does concern me, I'm a prefect and those are Hogwarts students. I'd be remised in my duties if I let you have them without even trying to stop you," Malfoys's voice remained the same even drawling tone. Ginny thought he sounded bored and was jealous of how relaxed he was while her hands shook as she pulled her wand out. Luna suddenly stopped riffling and Ginny turned to see she had a bottle in her hands.

"Holy water!" Luna mouthed, smiling triumphantly.

Ginny nodded emphatically and pointed to the right, "Go that way, and get behind them. I'm going to stay here and keep my wand on them."

Luna nodded and crept off as quiet as a ghost through the trees.

"We can do this the hard way or, well actually there's just the hard way," Malfoy was saying as Ginny moved back into position(2).

"Sounds good to me," the broad vampire said, pushing the unconscious girl to the ground and moving towards Malfoy with fangs barred.

"Are you sure? This probably won't be pretty. We're talking strong language, adult content, and violence-(2)" the broad vampire rushed towards Malfoy who pulled a crossbow from under his cloak and fired it into the vampires' chest. The vampire looked down in surprise and disintegrated in a bloody mess.

The other vampire looked shocked and let go of the boy.

"See what happens when you rough house?"(2)

The remaining vampire growled, "He was young and stupid." (2)

Before Malfoy could reload, or the vampire could jump him, Ginny stepped out from behind the tree pointing her wand and yelling, "Stupefy!"

Nothing happened, though she did manage to make the vampire laugh long enough for Luna to jump from behind him and doss him with the holy water. The vampire shrieked and Malfoy fired the reloaded crossbow and the second vampire created a second goopy pile on the forest floor.

Luna rushed down to help the two students who were still unconscious on the ground. Ginny walked down and Malfoy turned towards her.

"What were you two doing here?" growled Malfoy, grabbing her arm as she went to walk by him.

"We saw you going into the forest, and then we stayed because it looked like you needed help," Ginny said yanking her arm out of his grip and glaring up at him.

"I didn't need your help," Malfoy ground out, turning on his heel and stalking back towards the castle.

"You're welcome!" she called after him, but he continued stalking away. She wished for a moment to glare hard enough that he would combust. Instead she just followed his figure until it disappeared into the trees. Shaking her head, she turned and helped Luna levitate the two kids. Luna led the way back through the forest, moving slowly to avoid smacking the two floating bodies into trees.

Ginny followed still fuming indignantly behind her. Malfoy always seemed to unsettle her whenever they crossed paths. She was trying to figure out how to get him back when they stepped out onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

A/N: Did you like it? The story is picking up now and in the next chapter it will all be revealed.

1: Winnie The Pooh

2: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Welcome to the Hellmouth


End file.
